Jeremy Lin: The Secret Behind an Amasian Sweeping the Nation With Linsanity
I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character. – Martin Luther King Jr.
The other week I picked up my two Godchildren from their elementary school, with the purpose of spending a day spending real quality time together. As any parent or guardian of some sort asks after school, I asked them “How was school today?” To which I got 20 minutes of “I hate math.” to “Goddaddy, Jason has a girlfriend (he’s 6 mind you)!” to “”I learned division today!” Now this being the month of February, most of us know that this is what America calls “Black History Month”. The focus is on recognizing and learning about our African-American leaders throughout history, for those that don’t know. Curious about what the kids are learning this month I asked, “What have you guys been learning about Black History this month?’ To which they answered, “Nothing.” I said “What? What do you mean nothing? You guys haven’t had a MLK assembly or nothing?” They said, again, “Nope.”
Was I shocked, of course. I decidedly thought that every school openly recognized Black History Month. I grew up experiencing it, I certainly thought they would to. Now, this isn’t to shout racial appreciation to the school district that made the decision to not recognize the month, because honestly if I care that much I can teach them myself. Yet, what was noticeable was that my Godkids, didn’t seem to mind either way. See children are immune to race until adults make them aware of it. Is it a bad thing that it bothered me that this school of theirs doesn’t seem to view the history of a formally oppressed people as important, educational, or any other reason they can come up with? Depends on who you ask. The fact that it would be a discussion gives weight to what race means to our society.
So when the captain of the Money Team, boxer, Floyd Mayweather Jr., caused waves by tweeting, “Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise.” Well, it got me to thinking: Did Floyd think the statement true before he tweeted it? Of course not. Did he have a point? Maybe. Don’t get me wrong, I am not here to take sides on how valid his argument is, I’m just throwing some ideas out into the open. In a sport where approximately 80% of the players are black, and so few members of the far east countries are recognized why wouldn’t someone of Asian descent get noticed? It’s a no-brainer right? Well….why is the so-called Tim Tebow of the NBA, point guard Jeremy Lin getting so much publicity? Depends on who you ask.
An in-depth follower of the NBA will sound something like this: “Yo, have you seen this cat Jeremy Lin!?? Dude is bananas! He came from the Ivy League and everything. In the last six games since he’s started for the Knicks he’s averaged 23 points and 7 assists. He the game winner against Toronto last night, in Toronto. He’s been cut from Houston and Golden State (I bet the Lakers wished they played him over the corpse of Derek Fisher!), but he is killin!!! And the cold thing about it is dude is Asian….”
Now here is a casual follower of the NBA: “You see this Asian NBA dude, Jeremy Lin?? He’s been tearing up the league. He’s better than Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire at this point. He’s like a short, Asian, Tim Tebow (except he is phenomenal for four quarters instead just the fourth quarter). The Knicks might win a championship now that they have Lin. Linsanity!!! I’m Lin-ning!! To Lin-finity….and beyond!!! All I do is Lin, Lin, Lin no mater what! Is it too late for Lin to be voted into the All-Star game?”
Now let’s honest, no one just comes on the scene from the D-League or from being the 15th man on the roster to starting in Madison Square Garden for the Knicks, while putting up 23 and 7. Many players never even reach 20 points in a game, let alone over six games. As a matter of fact not one player since the NBA-ABA merger (the 1976-77 season) has scored at least 20 points and seven assists in his first five starts. Not one. He’s making history on just the basketball aspect. Yet this is clearly bigger than that. Why was Tebow so huge for the NFL? Because not only was his actions on the football field seen as historical, but he identified with something that was rare in the realm of sports he played in; his outward profession of his Faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. In Lin’s case, the rarity that surrounds him is the fact that he’s Asian in the sport where the players and superstars are predominately black. As was with Tiger Woods in Golf, the Williams sisters in Tennis, and Danica Patrick in NASCAR.
Where Mayweather had it wrong, was that athletes that bring a rare trait, idea, quality, etc. to the table will always get attention. Normal in any setting passes under the radar, abnormal never does, let be good or bad. Race, gender, etc. is all a part of our society, acting like we don’t notice things that allude to what gender or race we are or how it applies to us is ignorant. I celebrate Lin, because he sleeps on his Ph.D. brother’s couch, is absolutely playing the underdog role in a superstar-led NBA, and last, but not least, because the dude is Asian(!).
Plus I can’t shake his emergence if I wanted to, I “overlooked” him in everyone of my fantasy basketball leagues this year (ugh).
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