Jeremy Lin signed with the Golden State Warriors today for a reported two-year deal being the fourth Asian American player in NBA history. I remember Hideo Nomo when he joined the hated Dodgers. I remember that I had to put aside the obligation as a San Francisco Giants fan to root against the Dodgers when Nomo pitched because he was Japanese. My father talked about him often. I felt pretty proud to talk about Nomo at school because he was Japanese and the only cool thing about Japan back then was cars and electronics. Those things are pretty cool but when my white friend talked about Will Clark and my black friend talked about Mike Tyson as if they were their brothers, I could only talk about my cousin the sushi chef. And my friend Jose’s dad was also a sushi chef, but I digress. So, Nomo entering Major League Baseball was a big deal. In Japan, people stayed up late or got up early to watch Nomo pitch. I felt the association. But eventually Asian players became pretty ubiquitous in Major League Baseball and without doing any research I can confidently say most of those players are foreigners. So unless I lived in Japan or Korea or Taiwan, I really don’t know much about these players. Although I speak Japanese and can understand what Ichiro Suzuki says, for example, I really don’t have an association with him as much as my father does or the country of Japan does. Taking it further, names such as Kurt Suzuki, Travis Ishikawa, and Scott Fujita raise an eyebrow but I still don’t have a strong association with them because I’m not from Hawaii (where Asians there are culturally different from the Asians in the Bay Area) or I’m not mixed like Ishikawa or adopted like Fujita. Also, baseball and football don’t connect with me the same way basketball does. Basketball is an intimate sport set in an intimate venue. We can see the players’ sweat drop from their faces and we can see if they’re skinny or if they’re built like tanks. We can hear their sneakers squeal on the hardwood and sometimes hear what they say. I’m a Japanese American born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. That’s a very specific label of what type of person I am racially and culturally. Being slightly more general, I’m an Asian American born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. Above all, I’m a sports fan, basketball fan, and Golden State Warriors fan. Before I go any further, I want to be clear that I’m not implying that being Asian American sports fan from the Bay Area is an exclusive club. It’s just a category I have put myself into so I can explain why Jeremy Lin joining the Warriors is culturally significant for me and hopefully others like me. That shouldn’t mean Jeremy Lin joining the Warriors isn’t culturally significant for anyone else; Harvard (and other Ivy League) students and alumni, Summer League invitees who turned their performances into an NBA contract, and people who share his faith can all rejoice. We can all agree that Lin joining the NBA is culturally significant, period, but I can only speak for myself. When I first got the news that Lin would be signing with the Warriors, I was shocked. I didn’t think The Jeremy Lin Movement actually had legs because “Movements” in the past never panned out. I didn’t think the Warriors would be making any roster moves any time soon because of the pending league approval of the team sale. I didn’t think the Warriors would be bold enough to value Lin to be Stephen Curry’s backup. But, we saw Lin play very well in Summer League. We saw C.J. Watson leave for more money to the Chicago Bulls via sign-and-trade opening up the backup point guard spot. We saw the hope that an already hometown cult hero, who considered playing for the Warriors his dream, could make an NBA roster and be productive; we all said he would become a fan favorite. We said his salary won’t impact the Warriors’ precious salary cap. We said he could make the Warriors’ PR Machine a lot of money off the novelty of a Bay Area born and raised Asian American playing in the NBA in one of the most Asian-rich populations in the United States. When something makes sense to a fan, it doesn’t actually happen. But this time it did. Jeremy Lin is going to be a Warrior and people will get to know him. He’s not Yao Ming or Yi Jianlian who were highly coveted Chinese nationals drafted in the first round of the NBA draft. Jeremy Lin is a 6’3” undrafted rookie point guard who found collegiate success in an unrenowned Ivy League and in the 2010 Las Vegas NBA Summer League. He’s a local kid whose parents are Taiwanese immigrants. He doesn’t need an interpreter to speak to reporters or subtitles to clarify what he’s saying. He’s the first of his kind in this generation. He’s the very definition of an underdog and an overachiever. His success or failure as an NBA player is yet to be determined but he’s cleared the first big hurdle and created a rare opportunity. Lin is no Jackie Robinson and never will be. To put him in the same category is unfair on all levels. But, Lin does represent the Asian American whose family sacrificed familiarity of their home country to make a life in the United States. That story is shared by many Asian Americans in this generation. There are many professions Asian Americans have succeeded in, but pro sports isn’t one that tops the list, especially basketball. I believe it will continue to be that way for many years to come but at least I may now have my very own Will Clark and Mike Tyson that I can share with future generations. Original Post @ Sports History Now (please click/subscribe/comment)
Mm, I feel like sushi now. People can all agree that you will relate to someone who's more like you and has had similar experiences to you. The Asian-American population in the Bay Area is over 40% (maybe higher, I haven't checked the last census) and at least 33% of all of California, but has had basically 0% representation in any of the major sports. Most Asian kids I knew favored basketball by far to any other sport (even the foreign born Asian students in boarding school or in college). So alot of kids will have someone to look up to at the least.
Yeah there's certainly no shortage of asian ballers anywhere I've ever played pick up games. In fact lots of times they're the majority of people around. You just don't see many play in college let alone the NBA for whatever reason.
Did you know that an estimated 300 million people in China play basketball? Yes, that's the same as the total US population. That would be every single person in the United States plays basketball. I'm pretty sure that every town/city is required to have a basketball court, and I believe every school as well. There are sports schools that are dedicated to producing professional basketball talent: http://www.china.org.cn/english/sports/207881.htm http://factsanddetails.com/china.php?itemid=277&catid=12&subcatid=78
What's his nick? Is it Rice? I like Japanese Curry Rice with fukujinzuke which include pickled Beans . And he's Jeremy Lin, not Lin, Jeremy. He should just be Lin. That sounds cool for Chinese-y.
I too am an Asian American born and raised in the Bay Area. I've found its pretty cool to see Lin signed from a cultural viewpoint. But as I was talking to a buddy of mine last night, I love sports but its only a small part of life. Its a cool distraction from real world responsibilities. I'm more impressed that he was able to compete as an outstanding D-1 hoopster while compiling a 3.1 GPA at Harvard in four years. I truly believe that one of the fundamental problems in the US right now is that many kids have been socialized to believe that pro sports is the ultimate and its okay to let school work slack off while you pursue your sports. Watching a sporting event on TV or in person takes priority over your homework and your studies. Sorry I went off the rails.
Phil,...I think it's awesome. I'm an Arab-American (I think Samhan was our Lin Equivalent). There have been other Arab players in the NBA, but I don't think any that were born here. Student athletes who excel to get to where Lin got is an enormous accomplishment. As someone whose parents came to this country to give me a better opportunity, I can really get behind Lin. Knowing how the Asian-American communities push their kids in academia, yet he was able to accomplish all of this and get a degree from Harvard is amazing. He's a true representative of being an Asian-American. That being said, I love the local boy getting a shot for the team he grew up watching angle just as much. It was many of our dreams to play for the Warriors one day. I love that he gets this shot. I actually got choked up a bit listening to him talk about having a Sprewell jersey, mentioning Larry Hughes and Gilbert, the we-believe teams etc. He truly is one of us. (And like I said, I'm middle-eastern). BTW...Samhan is going to Lithuania to play on Sarunas Marciulonis' club. Nothing would make me happier than to see him round out his game and make it to the pros. If he could be a role player for the Warriors I'd be doubly happy.
Asian-American Chinese basketball fan born and raised in Southern California (suck on that NorCal folk ). So proud to see Jeremy make it, hence why Run is buying me a REAL jersey (got that?!).
Are you one of those guys that still pop their collar? My Korean buddy in SoCal still does that while wearing his $10 aviators.
I'm not asian, but I'm juiced because I can relate to dude as a lifetime warriors fan...how cool is that?? But I have always been a fan of the underdog, and I'd say that an asian-american baller would be considered an underdog...sooooo, props to all my asian homies, lets hope he does big things!!
Nope. Just t-shirt and jeans. I hate tight clothing. I don't like shades or any of that crap. I'm basically an Inland Empire kid living in the OC. Those people aren't my style. Plus there are alot of white people who don't like me...cause I'm not like them.
That's what I like to think. I just didn't appreciate my first year and a half of high school in south OC at a Christian school, and getting stupid jokes during fucking prayer circles (I'm Buddhist btw) that they "can't have a chink in the chain" then getting pushed out of said prayer circle. I then moved to a school in the middle of the OC, close to north OC, but the school is 60+% Asian. It was nice. Girls were definitely alot better too. Cause we all know asians are the best.
Don't sweat it. No matter what happens its always going to be there so embrace your Asian heritage and culture. Those funky meals that your mom/grandmothers/aunts fix? When you get to your 40s (like myself) you are going to treasure those meals and wish you could have those back. The family gatherings where everyone is too loud and everyone wants to hug you? Those are great things. However, never forget that you still need mainstream America to be successful in business, so learn to function within their culture and rules.
I also knew not to let it get to my skin, cause I was also the only person on the team (I didn't get any minutes) who could dunk... Oh I always prefer asian food over american. That's that. In terms of embracing America, I'm a business marketing major, and I work in sales. Also starting a company with my dad in the medical field. I am very successful in bringing in and closing contracts cause let's face it: I'm like a white dude in my business dealings. I sound like one too. But once I'm out of sight, still asian.
Are you kidding? I ran some with him in the late 80's/early 90's! Really smooth unselfish player; fun to watch, fun to play with. Truly a great guy. They say you can tell a man by how he plays hoops; even though he was head and shoulders above you, he never copped an attitude, never made you feel like you were worse, he just played like he was your buddy (who happened to score at all the clutch times). I think he went over to Taiwan/Phillipines to play pro. Wow its been a while now. A Conant Chi reference in 2010, WOW!! Do you know him?
I played ball with him a few times. Met him through his sister. He was an offensive threat anywhere on the court and got in a shooting rhythm immediately. I lost touch with him and some of the other guys when I went to college and he went off to play pro ball overseas.
