Sadly and a bit ironic, Jeremy Lin is inactive (with Melo back, they have 13 players) for the Knicks game today against Orlando on Martin Luther King Day. For us JLin fans, at least we don't have to waste our day watching this team.
Jared Jeffries is back in the lineup and Carmelo Anthony came back from his ankle injury. They can only have a certain number of active players for the game, and Jeremy Lin is the least valued member of the team.
It is a shame, the Golden State Warriors have started rookie Charles Jenkins for the past 4 games so he can gain some confidence and feel for the game. They never did the same for Lin, the hometown kid.
If God has an "awesome" plan for Jeremy Lin, let me tell you that, right now, this "godly" plan is a really shitty one. Therefore, this plan can never be "awesome".
I don't understand why people think JLin is the only nba player who should have a special plan made by god. There's other nba players who pray, play and practice harder than Jlin and it's only up to him to prove that he's better than them. Not God. People should leave God outside of basketball.
If God exists, there's more important issues that he should work on right now and it's certainly not a plan for some asian NBA player. Stop praying (or should I say begging) to God about the NBA career of JLin. Leave God to more important issues like war, death and famine.
Norman, why don't you just let people believe what they want to believe. Who are you to blast others for their religious beliefs. God has a plan for everyone, it may not be exactly what they expect or hope for, but in the end, it's what is best for them. For JLin, God's plan may not even involve being successful in the NBA, so just because he's riding on the bench does not mean God does not exist or does not have a plan for him.
Sinostyles I suggest you re-read the entirety of what I wrote and not just few parts of it. I understand English may not be your first language (as it isn't mine either) but you completely missed my points. As you probably know, we have different beliefs and I respect that. I don't care about the religious belief of anybody. What irritates me is the fact that people only involve God when things don't go their ways. God shouldn't be involved in a sport as there is many more important issues in the world.
Norman, I re-read your last few posts and the points you made are anything but consistent and are all over the place. However, what is consistent is the way you repeatedly sound like a condescending D-bag. As for your "point," yes it seems people often turn to God and religion in times of peril. However, it is their prerogative to do so, and if it helps them get through their hard times, who the hell are you to tell them what they are praying for is insignificant compared to the world's problems. To be realistic, most people are not worried as much about the world's problems as they are about their own problems. Jeremy Lin has become an inspiration for lots of people out there, especially for many Asian Christians. He represents the unlikely underdog who wasn't supposed to make it. In addition, Jeremy himself, mentions God in virtually every interview. So naturally, people are going to associate his success with being part of God's plan. Hopefully my mastery of the English language is enough for you to comprehend what I am saying.
Why should I do something for you if you don't really believe in me! Make sense, right? May be God works the same way. JLin really really believes in God, everyday and twice on Sunday, that much I know. Just saying... peace!
We should be proud of him, Jeremy has gone farther than any Asian American basketball player before him. Even if he never starts for any NBA team, he is an inspiration for many young Asian American athletes to fight against discrimination, and to compete in sports. Our generation needs role models.
This should be an inspiration for all Asian Americans to rise up in unity, and stop being the invisible minority that gets pushed around by the White man.
Filipinos = Spanish surnames. Are you telling me every Filipino Youtuber who has Asian fans and represents for the Asian American community isn't Asian because of their last name?
Bruce Lee was part White too. It doesn't matter what you think, Rex Walters considers himself Asian-American. Are you going to tell Hines Ward that he's not Korean either just because he is half and his last name is Ward? lol ok racist!
Some Filipinos do have Spanish surnames, but only a small fraction have Spanish ancestry. Most of them adopted Spanish last names when their ancestors converted to the Roman Catholicism. Do they look Spanish enough pass as Europeans ?
Like I said, if you consider Rex Walters, Tiger Woods, and Hines Ward to be "Asian" .... then that's your opinion. However, most of America does not see them as being "Asian", at least not in the traditional sense.
Rex Walters can pass as White. Tiger Woods can claim to be Black. Hines Ward can claim be Black if he wanted to.
Jeremy Lin does not have that luxury of claiming to be another race.
There are Filipinos who don't like to claim Asian either, rather Pacific Islanders. Also if you're going to bring up college applications, Filipinos have their own category and are separate from "Asians".
There are Filipinos who can pass as "Hispanic". Matter of fact, if you look at all the insults in Youtube comments, people call Filipinos as Mexicans. But there are still those who still represent for Asian-Americans, look at Dominic Sandoval aka D-Trix who was with Quest Crew.
You seem to have your own agenda of the "Whiteman" holding down the Asian. Rex Walters considers himself Asian-American and that's all that matters.Go ahead and watch the interview by sports reporter Rick Quan who thinks the same. Enough said.
PS: Whether you and I agree or disagree, Jeremy still has the luxury to claim Taiwanese and Chinese ;).
"Mixed Race: Perhaps not such a good statistic I had mixed feeling about the statistics on mixed race. Filipinos 22% of Filipinos claim to be multiracial, compared to 18% of all Asian Americans and 3% of all Americans. Filipinos historically intermarried and many are mixed racially before the come to the US."
Seems like you don't get the point and you keep pressing the White agenda. You don't accept bi-racial or multi-racial Asians, I get it. So you probably don't accept Bruce Lee as one, since he too was part White.
Rex Walters claims to be Asian-American, that's the point. Therefore, Jeremy Lin has not gone farther than any Asian-American before him. Simple as that.
Filipinos are not Asian, in the "traditional" sense either. East Asians such as Japanese and Koreans also have a history of racism. Filipinos, on the other hand, do accept foreigners and that's why culturally Filipinos are mixed.
Raymond Townsend is considered Filipino and hosts Filipino heritage night, even though he is half and doesn't look it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLCebxCFK40
Whitman, you'd probably dispute that Erik Spoelstra isn't the first Asian head coach either in the NBA. But unlike you, Filipinos accept him as a Filipino and Asianjournal reported about him.
Idk, I'm not Filipino. You could say Eric Spoelstra is Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or mixed.
Would you consider DeMarcus Cousins to be Filipino (1/16th) ? I couldn't tell just by looking at him. You could say that DeMarcus Cousins is the highest scoring Asian American basketball in the NBA right now ... if that's how you see it.
You seem to be missing the point. Erik Spoelstra is still Filipino, regardless if he's mixed. He's also been reported as the first Asian-American NBA coach, even if he's mixed. But clearly, you would dispute that.
About Demarcus Cousins: http://tweetscenter.com/demarcus-cousins-confirms-im-not-filipino/2654/
We were talking about Asian American basketball players. Now you're talking about NBA coaches... You might as well talk about Rich Chi being the GM the Trailblazers. This discussion is getting off topic.
We? I didn't see you talking nor posting until you just posted one comment. Rich Chi? You must be talking about Rich Cho, who currently works for the Bobcats. But is he mixed?
Rex Walters is Asian-American and so is Erik Spoelstra since he has been reported as the first "Asian-American" NBA coach. 50 years from now, if there are more Asian-American NBA coaches, are you going to be with Whitman and dispute that Erik Spoelstra was not the first Asian-American head coach in the NBA simply because he was mixed?
I've been posting here since day one of the 2010 NBA draft. yeah We, the guys on this site.
Yeah, Rich Cho, he's Korean American, not mixed.
You see Rex and Erik as Azn Am. that's your view. OK. Fine.
Don't try to shove your views down other people's throats. Some people see it your way, some people don't. That's the way it is here.
Maybe they are AA, but they did not grow up like me. I'm a 2nd generation son of Chinese immigrants. I don't have a White American dad, or White features to help me blend in. I look totally Asian, and people call me racial slurs like "Gook, Chink, Nip, Jap" etc. well into adulthood. My brother enlisted in the Navy, and he's restricted from "sensitive" duties because his ethnicity makes him a possible enemy spy. His loyalty is always questioned.
Did Erik Spoelstra or Rex Walters go thru that sh*t ? Maybe, maybe not. But I'd say no. They may be "Asian American" but they are not like me.
Erik Spoelstra is a mixed race Asian American. I didn't even know he was part Filipino until I read it in an article. I actually thought Spoelstra was a white guy. Lin is not a mixed race American. He is fullblooded Chinese or Taiwanese, depending on the political orientation of the person observing him. In college, Lin was regularly taunted by opponents and fans for being Asian. Plus, most basketball evaluators automatically assume Lin cannot play despite statistically overwhelming evidence that he can really play. I seriously doubt that Erik Spoelstra gets racially taunted or rejected the way Lin does.
Full blooded Taiwanese? lol. PROC vs ROC political affiliation has nothing to do with 100% bloodline. Only way that Jeremy would be a fullblooded Taiwanese would be if he was a Taiwanese aboriginal. His grandparents were from China. One can say that Jeremy Lin is Han Chinese or Han Ren, but 100% Taiwanese? Wrong.
I am fullblooded Taiwanese (several generations of Taiwanese relatives on both sides of the family) and agree that calling Jeremy Lin "full blooded Taiwanese" would be wrong. On the other hand, I do see people calling him "Taiwanese" becaude his parents emigrated from there. The debate is for those who want to get into the "Chinese vs Taiwanese" issue which I will not get into here.
The issue is not whether guys like Rex Walters, Hines Ward and Erik Spoelstra are or aren't Asian-American; they are and honestly it's offensive to insinuate otherwise. The issue is how the average American reacts to seeing Rex Walters for the first time, either on the court or in a box score, versus how they react to seeing Jeremy Lin for the first time. That Walters, in his own words, doesn't "look Japanese", that his name does not reveal his Asian-American heritage, and whereas Lin's name and appearance without a doubt confirm his, is fundamental to this discussion.
The point is that there's a profound difference in the perception of Asian-Americans like Lin and Asian-Americans like Walters or Ward by the general public, fans, scouts and coaches alike. It's something that is easy to dismiss or downplay because it's subtle and not necessarily a conscious reaction. It's similar to how studies have shown that when sending identical resumes, but one with a "white"-sounding name and the other with a "black"-sounding name, the "white" resume gets a significantly higher return call rate than the "black" resume. The theory is not that companies are on a grand-scale intentionally not hiring black people, but there is some effect where resume reviewers subconsciously attribute better qualities to the "white" resumes.
Finally this post is already way too long but a Bay Area D1 coach wrote a pretty good column about how Jeremy Lin's ethnicity negatively impacted his college recruitment.
TL;DR Jeremy Lin and Rex Walters are both great Asian-American basketball players, but Lin has had a harder path the the NBA.
I didn't even know Rex Walters was Asian American until Jeremy Lin emerged as a legitimate NBA prospect. When Rex Walters was at Kansas playing alongside Paul Pierce (who was less dominant in college than in the NBA) and Raef Lafrentz (a solid NCAA inside big man who lacked the strength to battle down low in the NBA), I liked his game. Rex Walters reminded me a bit of Danny Ainge: a feisty hustling 2 guard who wasn't the most skilled player but made up for it with hustle. I thought he was a pro prospect, and so did the Nets who made him a mid 1st round draft pick. With the Nets, Walters had the hustle but not the athleticism to compete in the NBA. I do not feel the same way about Lin. To me, Lin should have been a high lottery pick. Lin has excellent, possibly even elite NBA athleticism to go with his excellent basketball IQ. If Lin were as white as Rex Walters or as black as John Wall, he would have received a collegd basketball athletic scholarship and likely would have been an early entry draftee. Against NBA players known for their All World athleticism, Lin more than holds his own. Any player of any other ethnicity with the incredible production Lin offers in limited minutes would be playing more minutes. And for the Lin haters who say race has nothing to do with him being overlooked, explain why he didn't get offered a college scholarship or why he can't get respect despite being productive everywhere he went. Lin, to me, is a far better basketball player than Rex Walters ever was (and Rex Walters was.pretty awesome). I still think that Lin will last longer in the NBA than Rex Walters did, simply because Lin is a NBA talent who is good enough to be an active rotation player.
Claiming Lin should have been a high lottery pick is what fuels the whole Lin and his groupies talk. In fact the whole idea of race is utterly ridiculous to me. I want Jeremy to succeed as much as anyone else on this site, but by constantly blaming his lack of game time on his ethnicity is foolish. The fact remains is that he hasn't proven himself to be a reliable player in the league. Sure he's dominated his college division and the NBDL, but the ability to translate his play from there to the NBA is yet to show. Personally I believe he can do it, yet whats not going to help, is piling all his troubles onto his asian heritage..
I watched the video of the OKC game. It was a nice stint, it was actually some real basketball and not garbage ball (everyone's just chucking shots). He played good defense, stayed in front of his man. It was great that he was able to play PG on offense. That assist at the end was vintage Lin.
There are a lot of guys who were drafted in 2010 who haven't played as well as Lin has. If a guy like Wes Johnson can be drafted at #4 or Daniel Orton can be drafted in the 1st round, then Lin at least deserves to be picked high based solely on college production and pro potential. Don't forget that Lin at Harvard scored a ton of points against Kemba Walker who was taken #9 this year. Every time Lin faced a high lottery pick like John Wall or Greg Monroe, he RAISED his game. Dispute that if you want, but guys who play well against top competition should be regarded as top competitors themselves. Guys who claim that "race is ridiculous" are the same guys who insist that Asian stars like Lin do not deserve D1 college scholarships even after winning the California state high school championship. As it turns out, Lin put his wimpy little non scholarship Harvard team on national news and his great performances were the main reason why. Thus far, Jeremy Lin's Asian ethnicity has been a serious impediment toward him playing eben at the college level. Even so, Lin became one of college basketball's best players and was a candidate for the award going to the top collegiate guard. If Jeremy Lin had pretended Asian racism didn't exist, he would not have kept trying to get to a D1 school and none of us would have ever heard of him playing in the NBA. Lin is a great player whose ethnicity prevents a lot of "expurts" from recognizing his dominating on court performances. In the small amount of time Lin has been allowed on an NBA court, he has played incredibly well. I will even go as far to say that if Jeremy Lin got a real NBA chance, his statistical production and wins produced would be similar to what he did in high school, college, Portsmouth, summer League, and D league. When Lin gets the minutes, he PRODUCES even though most people refuse to acknowledge it jist because he is Asian.
I don't have to explain myself to anyone. Jeremy Lin is more similar to me, and better represents my identity as an Asian American. Rex Walters and Raymond Townsend do not, they might represent You, and I'm cool with that. That's your choice.
But I'm just saying, Jeremy Lin is more similar to me and more likely to understand my experiences with racism.
Do you know why he is inactive today?
ReplyDeleteJared Jeffries is back in the lineup and Carmelo Anthony came back from his ankle injury. They can only have a certain number of active players for the game, and Jeremy Lin is the least valued member of the team.
ReplyDeleteIt is a shame, the Golden State Warriors have started rookie Charles Jenkins for the past 4 games so he can gain some confidence and feel for the game. They never did the same for Lin, the hometown kid.
GSW is a losing organization for the past decade and no sign of improving anyway...
DeleteJackson showed how you groom a future point guard, but I am certain that God has awesome plan for growing JL.
DeleteIf God has an "awesome" plan for Jeremy Lin, let me tell you that, right now, this "godly" plan is a really shitty one. Therefore, this plan can never be "awesome".
DeleteI don't understand why people think JLin is the only nba player who should have a special plan made by god. There's other nba players who pray, play and practice harder than Jlin and it's only up to him to prove that he's better than them. Not God. People should leave God outside of basketball.
If God exists, there's more important issues that he should work on right now and it's certainly not a plan for some asian NBA player. Stop praying (or should I say begging) to God about the NBA career of JLin. Leave God to more important issues like war, death and famine.
DeleteNorman, why don't you just let people believe what they want to believe. Who are you to blast others for their religious beliefs. God has a plan for everyone, it may not be exactly what they expect or hope for, but in the end, it's what is best for them. For JLin, God's plan may not even involve being successful in the NBA, so just because he's riding on the bench does not mean God does not exist or does not have a plan for him.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSinostyles I suggest you re-read the entirety of what I wrote and not just few parts of it. I understand English may not be your first language (as it isn't mine either) but you completely missed my points. As you probably know, we have different beliefs and I respect that. I don't care about the religious belief of anybody. What irritates me is the fact that people only involve God when things don't go their ways. God shouldn't be involved in a sport as there is many more important issues in the world.
DeleteNorman, I re-read your last few posts and the points you made are anything but consistent and are all over the place. However, what is consistent is the way you repeatedly sound like a condescending D-bag. As for your "point," yes it seems people often turn to God and religion in times of peril. However, it is their prerogative to do so, and if it helps them get through their hard times, who the hell are you to tell them what they are praying for is insignificant compared to the world's problems. To be realistic, most people are not worried as much about the world's problems as they are about their own problems. Jeremy Lin has become an inspiration for lots of people out there, especially for many Asian Christians. He represents the unlikely underdog who wasn't supposed to make it. In addition, Jeremy himself, mentions God in virtually every interview. So naturally, people are going to associate his success with being part of God's plan. Hopefully my mastery of the English language is enough for you to comprehend what I am saying.
DeleteWhy should I do something for you if you don't really believe in me! Make sense, right? May be God works the same way. JLin really really believes in God, everyday and twice on Sunday, that much I know. Just saying... peace!
DeleteSad, Sad, Sad! Waste a talent!
ReplyDeleteWe should be proud of him, Jeremy has gone farther than any Asian American basketball player before him. Even if he never starts for any NBA team, he is an inspiration for many young Asian American athletes to fight against discrimination, and to compete in sports. Our generation needs role models.
ReplyDeleteThis should be an inspiration for all Asian Americans to rise up in unity, and stop being the invisible minority that gets pushed around by the White man.
"Jeremy has gone farther than any Asian American basketball player before him."
DeleteRex Walters played from 1993-2000.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwN1WSpLtjY
Rex Walters: half White + half Japanese.
DeleteLast name: Walters.
Does he look Asian ? Would people classify him as an Asian basketball player ? You be the judge...
What's your point?
DeleteFilipinos = Spanish surnames. Are you telling me every Filipino Youtuber who has Asian fans and represents for the Asian American community isn't Asian because of their last name?
Bruce Lee was part White too. It doesn't matter what you think, Rex Walters considers himself Asian-American. Are you going to tell Hines Ward that he's not Korean either just because he is half and his last name is Ward? lol ok racist!
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteSome Filipinos do have Spanish surnames, but only a small fraction have Spanish ancestry. Most of them adopted Spanish last names when their ancestors converted to the Roman Catholicism. Do they look Spanish enough pass as Europeans ?
DeleteLike I said, if you consider Rex Walters, Tiger Woods, and Hines Ward to be "Asian" .... then that's your opinion. However, most of America does not see them as being "Asian", at least not in the traditional sense.
Rex Walters can pass as White. Tiger Woods can claim to be Black. Hines Ward can claim be Black if he wanted to.
Jeremy Lin does not have that luxury of claiming to be another race.
Read this article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/04/some-asian-students-dont-_n_1128037.html
There are Filipinos who don't like to claim Asian either, rather Pacific Islanders. Also if you're going to bring up college applications, Filipinos have their own category and are separate from "Asians".
Deletehttp://www.calstate.edu/as/stat_reports/2010-2011/f_eth10toc.shtml
There are Filipinos who can pass as "Hispanic". Matter of fact, if you look at all the insults in Youtube comments, people call Filipinos as Mexicans. But there are still those who still represent for Asian-Americans, look at Dominic Sandoval aka D-Trix who was with Quest Crew.
You seem to have your own agenda of the "Whiteman" holding down the Asian. Rex Walters considers himself Asian-American and that's all that matters.Go ahead and watch the interview by sports reporter Rick Quan who thinks the same. Enough said.
PS: Whether you and I agree or disagree, Jeremy still has the luxury to claim Taiwanese and Chinese ;).
http://www.8asians.com/2011/11/25/asians-in-america-a-focus-on-filipino-americans/
Delete"Mixed Race: Perhaps not such a good statistic
I had mixed feeling about the statistics on mixed race. Filipinos 22% of Filipinos claim to be multiracial, compared to 18% of all Asian Americans and 3% of all Americans. Filipinos historically intermarried and many are mixed racially before the come to the US."
You're getting totally off point, and you don't even understand what you're saying.
DeleteRex Walters can claim that he is White, if he needed to. Can Jeremy Lin do the same ?
Seems like you don't get the point and you keep pressing the White agenda. You don't accept bi-racial or multi-racial Asians, I get it. So you probably don't accept Bruce Lee as one, since he too was part White.
DeleteRex Walters claims to be Asian-American, that's the point. Therefore, Jeremy Lin has not gone farther than any Asian-American before him. Simple as that.
Anybody can claim to be any race. But, it doesn't change how the outside world treats you or judges you.
DeleteFilipinos are not Asian, in the "traditional" sense either. East Asians such as Japanese and Koreans also have a history of racism. Filipinos, on the other hand, do accept foreigners and that's why culturally Filipinos are mixed.
DeleteRaymond Townsend is considered Filipino and hosts Filipino heritage night, even though he is half and doesn't look it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLCebxCFK40
Whitman, you'd probably dispute that Erik Spoelstra isn't the first Asian head coach either in the NBA. But unlike you, Filipinos accept him as a Filipino and Asianjournal reported about him.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRTgdinxHvE
Idk, I'm not Filipino. You could say Eric Spoelstra is Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or mixed.
DeleteWould you consider DeMarcus Cousins to be Filipino (1/16th) ? I couldn't tell just by looking at him. You could say that DeMarcus Cousins is the highest scoring Asian American basketball in the NBA right now ... if that's how you see it.
You seem to be missing the point. Erik Spoelstra is still Filipino, regardless if he's mixed. He's also been reported as the first Asian-American NBA coach, even if he's mixed. But clearly, you would dispute that.
DeleteAbout Demarcus Cousins:
http://tweetscenter.com/demarcus-cousins-confirms-im-not-filipino/2654/
We were talking about Asian American basketball players. Now you're talking about NBA coaches... You might as well talk about Rich Chi being the GM the Trailblazers. This discussion is getting off topic.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWe? I didn't see you talking nor posting until you just posted one comment. Rich Chi? You must be talking about Rich Cho, who currently works for the Bobcats. But is he mixed?
DeleteRex Walters is Asian-American and so is Erik Spoelstra since he has been reported as the first "Asian-American" NBA coach. 50 years from now, if there are more Asian-American NBA coaches, are you going to be with Whitman and dispute that Erik Spoelstra was not the first Asian-American head coach in the NBA simply because he was mixed?
I've been posting here since day one of the 2010 NBA draft. yeah We, the guys on this site.
DeleteYeah, Rich Cho, he's Korean American, not mixed.
You see Rex and Erik as Azn Am. that's your view. OK. Fine.
Don't try to shove your views down other people's throats. Some people see it your way, some people don't. That's the way it is here.
Maybe they are AA, but they did not grow up like me. I'm a 2nd generation son of Chinese immigrants. I don't have a White American dad, or White features to help me blend in. I look totally Asian, and people call me racial slurs like "Gook, Chink, Nip, Jap" etc. well into adulthood. My brother enlisted in the Navy, and he's restricted from "sensitive" duties because his ethnicity makes him a possible enemy spy. His loyalty is always questioned.
Did Erik Spoelstra or Rex Walters go thru that sh*t ? Maybe, maybe not. But I'd say no. They may be "Asian American" but they are not like me.
Erik Spoelstra is a mixed race Asian American. I didn't even know he was part Filipino until I read it in an article. I actually thought Spoelstra was a white guy.
DeleteLin is not a mixed race American. He is fullblooded Chinese or Taiwanese, depending on the political orientation of the person observing him. In college, Lin was regularly taunted by opponents and fans for being Asian. Plus, most basketball evaluators automatically assume Lin cannot play despite statistically overwhelming evidence that he can really play.
I seriously doubt that Erik Spoelstra gets racially taunted or rejected the way Lin does.
Full blooded Taiwanese? lol. PROC vs ROC political affiliation has nothing to do with 100% bloodline. Only way that Jeremy would be a fullblooded Taiwanese would be if he was a Taiwanese aboriginal. His grandparents were from China. One can say that Jeremy Lin is Han Chinese or Han Ren, but 100% Taiwanese? Wrong.
DeleteI am fullblooded Taiwanese (several generations of Taiwanese relatives on both sides of the family) and agree that calling Jeremy Lin "full blooded Taiwanese" would be wrong. On the other hand, I do see people calling him "Taiwanese" becaude his parents emigrated from there. The debate is for those who want to get into the "Chinese vs Taiwanese" issue which I will not get into here.
DeleteThe issue is not whether guys like Rex Walters, Hines Ward and Erik Spoelstra are or aren't Asian-American; they are and honestly it's offensive to insinuate otherwise. The issue is how the average American reacts to seeing Rex Walters for the first time, either on the court or in a box score, versus how they react to seeing Jeremy Lin for the first time. That Walters, in his own words, doesn't "look Japanese", that his name does not reveal his Asian-American heritage, and whereas Lin's name and appearance without a doubt confirm his, is fundamental to this discussion.
DeleteThe point is that there's a profound difference in the perception of Asian-Americans like Lin and Asian-Americans like Walters or Ward by the general public, fans, scouts and coaches alike. It's something that is easy to dismiss or downplay because it's subtle and not necessarily a conscious reaction. It's similar to how studies have shown that when sending identical resumes, but one with a "white"-sounding name and the other with a "black"-sounding name, the "white" resume gets a significantly higher return call rate than the "black" resume. The theory is not that companies are on a grand-scale intentionally not hiring black people, but there is some effect where resume reviewers subconsciously attribute better qualities to the "white" resumes.
Finally this post is already way too long but a Bay Area D1 coach wrote a pretty good column about how Jeremy Lin's ethnicity negatively impacted his college recruitment.
TL;DR Jeremy Lin and Rex Walters are both great Asian-American basketball players, but Lin has had a harder path the the NBA.
Video of Jeremy Lin vs OKC:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AWWs_cA2jH4
I didn't even know Rex Walters was Asian American until Jeremy Lin emerged as a legitimate NBA prospect.
ReplyDeleteWhen Rex Walters was at Kansas playing alongside Paul Pierce (who was less dominant in college than in the NBA) and Raef Lafrentz (a solid NCAA inside big man who lacked the strength to battle down low in the NBA), I liked his game. Rex Walters reminded me a bit of Danny Ainge: a feisty hustling 2 guard who wasn't the most skilled player but made up for it with hustle. I thought he was a pro prospect, and so did the Nets who made him a mid 1st round draft pick. With the Nets, Walters had the hustle but not the athleticism to compete in the NBA.
I do not feel the same way about Lin. To me, Lin should have been a high lottery pick. Lin has excellent, possibly even elite NBA athleticism to go with his excellent basketball IQ. If Lin were as white as Rex Walters or as black as John Wall, he would have received a collegd basketball athletic scholarship and likely would have been an early entry draftee. Against NBA players known for their All World athleticism, Lin more than holds his own. Any player of any other ethnicity with the incredible production Lin offers in limited minutes would be playing more minutes. And for the Lin haters who say race has nothing to do with him being overlooked, explain why he didn't get offered a college scholarship or why he can't get respect despite being productive everywhere he went.
Lin, to me, is a far better basketball player than Rex Walters ever was (and Rex Walters was.pretty awesome). I still think that Lin will last longer in the NBA than Rex Walters did, simply because Lin is a NBA talent who is good enough to be an active rotation player.
Claiming Lin should have been a high lottery pick is what fuels the whole Lin and his groupies talk. In fact the whole idea of race is utterly ridiculous to me. I want Jeremy to succeed as much as anyone else on this site, but by constantly blaming his lack of game time on his ethnicity is foolish. The fact remains is that he hasn't proven himself to be a reliable player in the league. Sure he's dominated his college division and the NBDL, but the ability to translate his play from there to the NBA is yet to show. Personally I believe he can do it, yet whats not going to help, is piling all his troubles onto his asian heritage..
ReplyDeleteI watched the video of the OKC game. It was a nice stint, it was actually some real basketball and not garbage ball (everyone's just chucking shots). He played good defense, stayed in front of his man. It was great that he was able to play PG on offense. That assist at the end was vintage Lin.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of guys who were drafted in 2010 who haven't played as well as Lin has.
ReplyDeleteIf a guy like Wes Johnson can be drafted at #4 or Daniel Orton can be drafted in the 1st round, then Lin at least deserves to be picked high based solely on college production and pro potential.
Don't forget that Lin at Harvard scored a ton of points against Kemba Walker who was taken #9 this year. Every time Lin faced a high lottery pick like John Wall or Greg Monroe, he RAISED his game. Dispute that if you want, but guys who play well against top competition should be regarded as top competitors themselves.
Guys who claim that "race is ridiculous" are the same guys who insist that Asian stars like Lin do not deserve D1 college scholarships even after winning the California state high school championship. As it turns out, Lin put his wimpy little non scholarship Harvard team on national news and his great performances were the main reason why.
Thus far, Jeremy Lin's Asian ethnicity has been a serious impediment toward him playing eben at the college level. Even so, Lin became one of college basketball's best players and was a candidate for the award going to the top collegiate guard. If Jeremy Lin had pretended Asian racism didn't exist, he would not have kept trying to get to a D1 school and none of us would have ever heard of him playing in the NBA.
Lin is a great player whose ethnicity prevents a lot of "expurts" from recognizing his dominating on court performances. In the small amount of time Lin has been allowed on an NBA court, he has played incredibly well. I will even go as far to say that if Jeremy Lin got a real NBA chance, his statistical production and wins produced would be similar to what he did in high school, college, Portsmouth, summer League, and D league. When Lin gets the minutes, he PRODUCES even though most people refuse to acknowledge it jist because he is Asian.
Say it like it is, there exist a lot of racism towards the Asian Athletes:
ReplyDelete"Jeremy Lin's Asian ethnicity has been a serious impediment toward him playing eben at the college level."
I don't have to explain myself to anyone. Jeremy Lin is more similar to me, and better represents my identity as an Asian American. Rex Walters and Raymond Townsend do not, they might represent You, and I'm cool with that. That's your choice.
ReplyDeleteBut I'm just saying, Jeremy Lin is more similar to me and more likely to understand my experiences with racism.
Well said Whitman, I couldn't agree with you more. ABC Baller made a lot of good points too regarding growing up Asian-American.
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