Comments on: Just A Basketball Player

By: RobMahoney

RobMahoney — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:36:00 +0000

Sorry, double post.

By: RobMahoney

RobMahoney — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:35:52 +0000

Great read.

Two things, though:

1. Eduardo Najera's ethnicity is actually a pretty big deal in Texas, though fans may not have cared so much in Denver or New Jersey.

2. Even if you subscribe to the idea of a post-race society (I WANT TO BELIEVE), sports, and the NBA in particular, could prove to be one of the more difficult battlegrounds. Plus, though Lin's ethnic NBA experience should be a fairly unique one, he's hardly the only NBA player to have trouble escaping a racial label. European players (or even some mistaken for European players, a la Manu Ginobili) have to fight off their labels as well, even if it doesn't carry the same implications. The 'Euro' tag is more distinct to basketball than any tag place on Lin, but the point's the same.

By: WZUP

WZUP — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 12:08:52 +0000

I hate to put even more pressure on the guy (although Lin has a history of excelling under pressure), but his journey will be worth some serious analysis in the coming years. Not to sound too dippy, but it's a perfect case study on the evolution of racial tension in this country. It's not a simple matter of the Big Bad White Man hating a minority. Nor is it a simple matter of the Whiny Angry Colored Person demanding special treatment. I can understand why non-bitter minorities “root for their own” so vehemently (“Take *that* stereotypes!”). I can also understand why non-racist majorities fans roll their eyes (“If you want to transcend race, quit bringing it up!”).

These are issues most thoughtful people recognize, and yet the discourse on the subject frequently devolves into outright racism and reverse-racism. I DO think there's extra excitement for Lin because he legitimately seems more talented than any sub-7-foot Asian we've seen (in recent years at least). However, I also worry that if Lin were to falter (like most NBA hopefuls of all colors), the racial huh-bub might worsen given all the attention he's getting.

By: Chibul

Chibul — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 09:03:39 +0000

I don't care if he's Asian or Martian…I love underdog stories, and coming from Harvard to not being drafted to running with Wall at LVSL to getting signed to a multiyear deal? That's an amazing underdog story. Loving Lin.

By: John Solley

John Solley — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 04:30:00 +0000

Very nice article Bran. I hate stereotypes myself.

By: jsmitty

jsmitty — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:35:26 +0000

It does not take too much digging into this kid to see that Jeremy Lin oozes class and character. Take these interviews on Patheos.com from March, before the hoopla hit:

http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Res...

http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Res...

You read those and you immediately gravitate to the thought that "this is the kind of person I want my kids looking up to as a role model, aspiring to be". That he is an Asian-American no doubt holds appeal to the Asian-American population, as it should. But what gives Lin *broad* appeal is his never-give-up underdog status and his tremendous depth of character. And that transcends any ethnic background.