stevenlebron:

Asian Hoop Dreams

Did you expect me to wrap the week by writing about anything but this?

This entire week of the Jeremy Lin experience has brought something different out of me as a sports fan. It’s incredible that just a week ago, this story didn’t even exist. I barely remember the world as it existed before Lin came on the scene. A bit dramatic, yes. But as an Asian basketball fan immigrating from Hong Kong to Toronto in 1993, this week has been exhilarating, scary, and above all that, it has given me a sense of pride I haven’t felt with watching sports.

Ever.

Growing up in Toronto, I still hang on to the good times that Vince Carter brought us. It’s about the only thing to hang onto. In fact, sports in general is a tad depressing here, with a basketball team in rebuilding mode year in and year out, a hockey team that’s run like any failing corporation: spewing lies behind a mediocre product, and a baseball team that’s trying its hardest to be relevant again.

I think having immersed myself in this type of sports environment growing up, it drove me to how I take sports nowadays: not rooting for particular teams or players, but watching for the sake of enjoyment.

There’s a certain detachment when you take a fair weather stance on sports. You avoid the lows that you’d otherwise go through by attaching yourself to a team. But you also miss out on the highs when all the pain becomes worth it in the end.

You’re kind of in the middle, just searching for something that’s worth hanging onto.

That’s the exhilarating part about seeing a Taiwanese point guard throw Madison Square Garden into a frenzy, leading an underachieving Knicks team to three straight wins.

But the entire thing is also scary because once you commit yourself to believing that what Lin is doing is actually sustainable, there’s a fear that this actually won’t last.

Is it really possible for an undrafted guard from Harvard to make such a leap and make it stick? The answer that I want seems possible with each passing game, but you still learn to tamper your expectations after years of so much disappointment and let down.

But I’m fine with creating this emotional space for Lin because there’s a tremendous sense of pride watching what he’s doing.

I think Eddie Huang put it best this week when he said: “It doesn’t matter that Lin doesn’t have a jumper, loves Jesus, or has that strange country twang to his words. He’s just like you, he’s a little like me, but most importantly he proves we’re not all from another planet without Google, Facebook, or properly spelled bathroom signage.”

As Lin continues to succeed, he is elevating the general perception that people have of who we are as people, not just on the basketball court, but in every walk of life.

Asians have long struggled to make themselves relevant in basketball. While Yao Ming exceeded everyone’s initial expectations, injuries cut short a career that proved more important in expanding the global market for the NBA than Yao actually doing anything relevant for his team. There is no lasting impact for what Yao accomplished on the court.

This entire thing with Jeremy Lin feels different from it all because there’s potential for an Asian player to establish himself in one of the biggest markets in North America, and be part of the resurgence of a once proud franchise that pinned its hopes on superstars like Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Instead, a relatively unknown guard has come on the scene and rejuvenated a team that seemed destined to implode under the weight of expectations with a roster that remains deeply flawed.

All of these factors makes my attachment to Lin’s story worthwhile, even if it means he might prove to be a flash in the plan. The possibility that this could be the springboard for a long, successful career in the league outweighs all the fears of him failing.

In just three games, he’s revived hope in the New York Knicks fan base and at the same time become a rallying point for Asians worldwide.

I’m excited and scared to think what he can do if he keeps this up for more than a week.

And isn’t that the whole reason for watching sports?

Right now, Jeremy Lin feels like the only reason to me.