Wow, I was surprised that J Kidd really did pull Jeremy's hair. In the past, I never really thought he pulled his hair despite watching that particular foul. But now, since it is viewed in a slower motion, I'm astonished that there was some hair-pulling that happened. The fouls shown in the video were really hard, no wonder he got injured.
By the way, the first video was so powerful. The message was clear especially the speeches. The editing of the video was amazing. The only thing I dislike was hearing another rant from "somebody" (I won't even mention his name, he is not worth it).
I was impress by JLIN dedication, hardworking and perseverance. Never say never and persistant in pursuing your dream whole heartedly. He cleared obstacles in the past to get into NBA and there will be more obstruction and bigger challenges he facing and will be shove in front of him; my only contribution is continous spiritual support and prays for his wellbeings and pray for him to remain steadfast under trials and turbulances, everyday.
I know I'm beating a dead horse here...but Jlin better man up and defend himself on the court. He can be the nicest guy off the court which he should be, but this Kidd thing is just one of many incidents that will continue to occur if he allows it. If he doesn't, we can all go back to ignoring the NBA again because he won't be playing for very long.
I hope his teammates have his back in Houston..I didn't see any retribution in New York when he was getting slammed.
Yes, they need a crazy guy who has Lin's back. Hopefully White is that guy. Also, guys like Iman, Jeffries, and Chandler would have gotten into a shoving match last year with people if it was actually Lin's knicks. But because it was not and Lin was a rental 2nd year scrub (on paper at least), they didn't feel comfortable enough sticking their neck out. But because Carmelo and to a lesser extent Stat& JR could care less if Lin was permanently crippled, Lin was allowed to get pummeled during that stretch just before Danotni quit/was forced out.
The players who believe in Lin's ability on the Court will have his back on the Court. Machado and those type of guys will never have Lin's back. I don't want those type of guys on the Rockets for that reason. I don't really see Parsons or Delfino as fighters, but hopefully they at least have Lin's back if he gets decked on a cheapshot. I can see Asik, White, and maybe Dmo sticking up for Lin or cheap shotting the other team back later. Lin needs a Charles Oakley, Rick Fox, Rodman cheap shot artist.
Lets remember here too, there's no Carmelo & Stat whining for the ball or feeling obligated cause they make more money. Lin will have the ball and pass to people who have his back on the Court and/or make good things happen. Lin is talented enough to discreetly freeze out those he does not like or does not trust, and the rotations will adjust accordingly.
It would be great that a teammate has Lin's back, but to get the respect of his teammates and other players in the league, he needs to protect himself. Check this video out of two of the great guys in the NBA who were killers on the court: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcGk-TjlHwc . Jlin needs to know it is a battle on the court..friendships and being a good,forgiving Christian should be left off the court where his impact will be greatest anyway. If not, Linsanity won't last.
If JLin were put in the same position as Stockton, I would be surprised if JLin did not react.
For the Kidd's pulling the hair play, I think JLin did not react with his instincts because firstly it probably happened so fast that JLin did not know what hit him, and secondly it is arguable (at least at the moment without the benefit of seeing a slow mo replay) that Kidd was making a play at the ball. Thus, JLin may have been able to give Kidd the benefit of the doubt that his swipe was unintentional. (Btw, in my books, Kidd's hard follow through and pulling the hair to make sure JLin doesn't get the shot off was intentional, definitely dirty, and going way beyond an unintentional natural follow through after making a play at the ball.)
With swinging elbows, it would be hard for JLin to massage the situation and to overlook the fact that it was intentional. If even in the face of an intentional attempt at causing him injury JLin is able to keep his cool, I must say hats off to this guy's control!
So basically, I would not be worried about JLin not standing up for himself in response to clearly malicious actions. I'd fully expect him to react, unless where JLin cannot at that moment be clear about the offender's intentions.
The NBA is a great league but also a joke all at the same time. If the NBA wants Lin to fail, the refs will swallow their whistle and call bs fouls, carrys etc. on him. If the NBA wants Lin to be the Asian Michael Jordan, they will have the refs make it happen. Lin can still get his stats and look good or bad all on his own, but it's up to the NBA to protect him. Lin's not an MMA fighter, there's only so much he can do to retaliate. Imagine if he actually tried to punch Kidd in the face - the majority of the NBA would be out for blood, and the media would turn on Lin as a fake Christian and pretend goodie 2 shoes.
It's up to the NBA to protect Lin by calling fouls and flagrant fouls properly during and after the game. The NBA said Kidd's play was clean upon review, whatever. Kobe got suspended for arguably less dirty plays (it was totally dirty though so I applaud the NBA) a few years back when he constantly did his "unnatural" shot follow through swacking only European NBA players in the face so hard they started to bleed. Kobe's not stupid, he knew other black players would punch him in the balls like super talented but dirty little CP3 likes to do on occasion.
But Lin, since he is the lone Asian American in the NBA, cannot do little dirty CP3 plays because of the American double standard. Lin will be called out as dirty and all the other NBA players will peg Lin as dirty and spread the word to the media. Because Lin is Asian, his dirtiness will be magnified times 100.
Unless someone flat out does something so dirty, even SAS feels sorry for Lin, then Lin cannot retaliate. Lin must have the NBA and his Rocket teammates doing it for him...
As an Asian American who's considered less than men of all other colors, Lin needs to breathe fire and lay the smackdown on guys.
If that means cursing people out and getting in fights, so be it. If it means suspension and fines, GOOD.
I had this one student who was Taiwanese American in the 5th grade. He was a well adjusted boy, but people headhunted him. He eventually got into a fight with an attacker, punched the aggressor a few times in the chest, and stood his ground. Afterwards, nobody would mess with the kid and he became a well accepted youth baseball player.
Lin has just gotta administer the beatdowns. As the most headhunted target in NBA history, Lin needs to be a MAN and beat down anybody that comes after him.
Lin can follow the David Robinson model: doing just enough to protect himself. There are plenty of evangelical Christians in the NBA who defend themselves without being thuggish or vindictive, so Lin defending and protecting himself should pose no ethical dilemma.
Another thing on David Robinson ... after years of taking a ton of nonsense on and off the court from players, media and fans (I still remember when Karl Malone knocked him out cold with a dirty, totally unnecessary and 100% intentional elbow to the face, and Malone showed no remorse whatsoever) Robinson did finally get a title (which Malone never got) and got it his way. So, if Robinson did fine while going up against some of the more unsavory elements in the NBA, Lin will too.
David Robinson is an EXCELLENT role model for Lin as far as violence goes.
Robinson made sure he shoved back at players who tried to get rough with him. Joe Smith and Kevin Garnett both were attacked by David Robinson when they got too rough.
I have a hunch that Jeremy might follow in the path of David Robinson, the Admiral, another strong Christian in the NBA.
Remember when Malone threw a vicious elbow on the Admiral's head and knocked him out. He did not retaliate with punches, shook it off and just came back strong showing he was not easily intimidated. He's going to come back strong and unafraid.
I see Jeremy did the same thing after JKidd's intentional hard foul. It might not be the bravado and macho way as some of us would like to see to confront bullies but it's courage nonetheless.
Personally, I'd like to see some glare and serious stare to those delivering cheapshots just to let them know he won't back down. I sure hope NBA will protect their biggest Asia investment and his teammates would come to his defense if necessary.
Just a short observation about the discussion...I think there is general agreement that JLin should defend himself. The disagreement seems to be on what he should do and perhaps to a lesser extent disagreement on when he should do it.
With regards to when (in what situations, when is it crossing the line etc) type questions, it seems like JLin as Asian needs to overcompensate in the sense that he needs to confront even on borderline cases. Because he is Asian he needs to do more confronting compared to players of other ethnicities to establish himself as someone not to be messed with. He cannot to afford to err on the side of caution because he is Asian. If he does, players will keep putting him at risk.
With regards to how he should confront, the most effective way is probably to just lay the smack down on those players coming after him. Throw some punches, dish out some dirty plays, elbow a few in their faces, maybe even injure a few. The most effective way to stop being a bully is to be a bully yourself.
Now, if the only concern is to protect and defend himself, all of the above is probably the most effective. But JLin's personality also comes into play to colour the answers to the when and how to defend himself questions. His perceived meek personality seems to be a complaint. What is objectionable about this perceived personality is that it is holding him back from imposing himself as someone not it be messed with.
(Why he may come across as having this personality is another question. It may be because he is religious, inherently soft, or because he is Asian. For the record I don't think any of these stereotypes are justified. They may or may not play a role in shaping his personality. What I see at the end of the day is not a pushover, but actually quite the aggressive assertive courageous proud thoughtful Asian man.)
The answer of what is the most effective way to assert himself seems to be clear. Be a bully yourself. A more deferential approach would be to defend yourself, erring on the side of aggression, to compensate for being a targeted Asian. A more Christian approach will probably be even more deferential, erring on the side of caution, but to be sure not ruling out Stockton or Robinson type reactions. It is clear what I think is the correct approach, but I certainly think it reasonable for others to advocate other approaches. It all comes down to what we feel should be JLin's top priority concerns.
"I hope his teammates have his back in Houston..I didn't see any retribution in New York when he was getting slammed."
- He can change this by actively cultivating alliances in the locker room, concrete alliances not fuzzy 'friendships.' Obviously the best allies are ones who has much to gain from your own success, [& much to lose from your failure.] People whose fate are tied to yours [like D'Antoni's was to JLin.] He should not be indiscriminate with his favor, & losing his friendship should carry a cost. [Some might see this as machiavellian, but really, power relationships must be managed, they are never organic. He wants to be a pastor after all, that's crudely a manager, who needs to always exist one meta-level up from his flock anyway. So.]
"But because Carmelo and to a lesser extent Stat& JR could care less if Lin was permanently crippled, Lin was allowed to get pummeled during that stretch just before Danotni quit/was forced out."
- It was unfortunate that Stat [being 1 of the 'stars' in the team = opinion carried some weight with the other players] did not have the foresight to understand that to support JLin is to his self-interest. He was probably reacting to 'Linsanity' as a star whose shine was being threatened, & failed to see how disastrous it would be for him if D'Antoni is forced out. It didn't help that JLin had better chemistry with Tyson. No one was thinking further down the road.
"Machado and those type of guys will never have Lin's back. I don't want those type of guys on the Rockets for that reason."
- Machado alone is not much, but his presence in the locker room will embolden other disgruntled players to follow suit [& mutiny, if the opportunity present itself.] I hope JLin wouldn't think being involved in locker politics is beneath him, for he needs to take a pro-active approach & not simply depend on people to be honorable & 'do the right thing.' He's in a more dominant position now with the Rockets, & he should not give away this advantage by being all nice & democratic. Dominate. This will also reassure his allies they are not following someone who'll just lay down & roll over. In short, that he's someone worth investing themselves in, someone worth their fight.]
"Lin is talented enough to discreetly freeze out those he does not like or does not trust, and the rotations will adjust accordingly."
- Hopefully he will see the wisdom in this & not try to be 'unbiased'. There must be a cost to crossing him. [& value to being loyal to him.]
"For the Kidd's pulling the hair play, I think JLin did not react with his instincts because firstly it probably happened so fast that JLin did not know what hit him, and secondly it is arguable (at least at the moment without the benefit of seeing a slow mo replay) that Kidd was making a play at the ball. Thus, JLin may have been able to give Kidd the benefit of the doubt that his swipe was unintentional."
- He seemed bewildered that his team mates were so quiet, & took his cue from them.
"If even in the face of an intentional attempt at causing him injury JLin is able to keep his cool, I must say hats off to this guy's control!"
- Perhaps another form of self-control would be to curb his instinctive tendency to be rational/ conciliatory & instead, will himself to respond more emotionally [for the greater good.]
"Lin's not an MMA fighter, there's only so much he can do to retaliate. Imagine if he actually tried to punch Kidd in the face - the majority of the NBA would be out for blood, and the media would turn on Lin as a fake Christian and pretend goodie 2 shoes."
- Absolutely, he will be denounced as a hypoccrite. This will probably cause him far more pain than anything else, since he puts his Christian identity above all else [He'd probably feel like he'd represented Christianity in a bad light...] The best scenario would be to inspire enough loyalty from his team mates that they fight for him. He himself should actively repulse violence against hi. But to intentionally commit them against others, I cannot envision him doing.
"If someone had stood up for him (team, coach, self), we might have been able to get a taste of playoff linsanity. Who knows what good things would have came from that."
- His secret haters in the Nyk couldn't have been happier he was getting beat-up, & the rest were too unsure whether to cast their lot with him or not [& offend Melo & co by default.] His idealistic ways makes him look naive, does not inspire confidence...
"Lin doesn't have to punch anyone, but some good stare downs and maybe a shoving match from him..... Coupled with some guys willing to rumble for him. That may be enough."
- True. Obviously hard stares & shoving back means nothing if there no real threat of a smackdown backing it up. He needs to be able to inspire his team mates to step-up for him.
"As an Asian American who's considered less than men of all other colors, Lin needs to breathe fire and lay the smackdown on guys. If that means cursing people out and getting in fights, so be it. If it means suspension and fines, GOOD...Lin has just gotta administer the beatdowns. As the most headhunted target in NBA history, Lin needs to be a MAN and beat down anybody that comes after him."
- Could it be he's getting some very passive advice? [Remember the advice kids always get when bullied in school? "Just ignore them, & concentrate on your business."] He'll be playing with Jeremy Lamb, who's father is a devout Christian, a former player & now a coach [so he has a distinct understanding of this situation that JLin's pastor would not.] Perhaps advice from another Christian who's approach might be more aggressive will help resolve any internal conflict in his part about retaliation.
"And Robinson's legacy is one of the most GODLY AND GREAT players in recent NBA history. So, again I'm not buying religious prevention of SIMPLY DEFENDING YOURSELF."
- The thing is, there are ballplayers who happen to be Christian, & Christians who happen to be ballplayers. JLin identifies as the latter. He sees his bball career a merely a means to an end, the end of which is to serve God fully, as a pastor. Bball to him is merely a platform in the service of his true calling with the Church. I think he's extra wary of doing anything that might have a whiff of violence [not out of fear, but out of concern for his Christian reputation.] There is no doubt that he would absolutely stand up against any kind of injustice, & defend someone weaker, or a loved-one, absolutely no doubt. As for advocating for oneself, I keep thinking about his favorite bible verse:
Romans 5:3-5 3 Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Bec he has such great capacity & endurance, & he tends to be hard on himself [& very self-disciplining & striving,] I hope he's not going to try take on the hits & just try to work over them [Bec he thinks he's strong enough to take them & doesn't want to "whine."]
"The most effective way to stop being a bully is to be a bully yourself."
- I just can't see him doing this. There was a time when he was with GSW & desperately trying to fit his game with GSW, he was so miserable he considered quitting. Bec there was no more joy. It was pointless for him. I would think something like forcing himself to 'bully' others would be a nightmare for him as it is so against his principles.
"His perceived meek personality seems to be a complaint."
- I don't see him as meek, necesssarily. But long-suffering, persevering. He prefers to take on things, to endure through, to test his limits this way. Maybe even overly confident about his capacity. Also, he might think acting thuggish is beneath him as a Christian. [He's supposed to be better than this.]
Volvo keeps tweaking JLin's schedule, wonder if he'll connect with Yao before this asia tour is over... http://www.oneasianworld.com/2012/08/jeremy-lin-attends-event-in-shanghai-yao-ming-chills-with-rhinos-in-africa/
Please stop talking about JLin being too nice, respectful and religios to defend himself. By doing so you are just repeating silly stereotypes about asians and religios people. Its true that they were hard on him. But to some point - thats part of the game. If the refs allow the opponent a tough game - that means you can and should play tough as well.
Watch this. After Lin steals the ball from Kobe he is being pushed by Kobe for no reason. Its like a pecking order thing. JLin pushed right back like "I dont care who you are. Dont you dare touch me again". Watch at 0:15:07
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yP4Xfk9PGY
I did watch that game but back then I didnt even notice that push until I read an interview with JLins friend and former coach Diepenbrock. Diepenbrock commented (on Kobe pushing Lin - Lin pushing back) as follows: "That was Jeremy. He's a nice guy, but he's cut-throat." Diepenbrock should know JLin better than we do right?
So you see - being nice and friendly off court doesnt mean you are a weakling on court. Jeremy is no weakling! Of course - you only have to endure other players aggression to some extent. Like here where JLin is fouled by Jason Terry at 3:20 with no play on the ball:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSquLYvCxGM
The foul itself is not so interesting. Whats interesting is the follow up by Jared Jeffries who settles it immediately. I have no idea what he said to Terry but I imagine its like: "You wanna settle this outside? You touch JLin again Im gonna trash you!" Anyway - thats how teammates stick together.
JLin once said that Jared Jeffries has embraced him even before he got to play a single minute. Thats why im kind of sad about them not playing together anymore. I would love to see them play together again.
Maybe Jeremy only said so to win over peoples hearts. How can we know what motivation he had? So - Jeremy treating Kobe like a nobody - you dont respect - you ignore that.
Jeremy being fouled by Terry - you call this kotow and criticise? Just to be sure - youre a JLin fan right?
Jeremy got a 25 Million Dollar contract and has millions of fans around the world for who he is. How can you just say... nope. He kotowed to Terry. He wont get respect that way. Last time I checked Kobe seemed to give respect.
Regarding the stereotypes of christians being good and soft people... have you ever heard about Franco, Mussolini or Hitler? In what countries did they get to power? Werent the majority of people in those countries christians? Werent christians committing atrocities? I really dont want to compare JLin to those evil people. All Im saying is -> there are soft christians, tough christians, good christians and evil christians. Therefor the label "christian" means absolutely nothing.
Excellent observation that Jeremy can handle himself on the court against Kobe, @willydilly.
On Terry's flagrant foul, I remember it to be a mistake for Jeremy to comment that he didn't think it was a flagrant foul after the game. It reflected bad to the refs and it seemed like the refs let other players roughed up Jeremy without giving fouls in the next few weeks. Looking back, Jared had the right idea that Terry did not go for the ball and meant to bump Jeremy preventing him from going to the basket.
Jeremy should learn from this mistake to find ways if necessary to signal the refs (not necessarily flop) when other players are out to harm him. Arms flailing, stay on the floor longer to gather himself, grimacing face, etc. I wouldn't encourage Jeremy to be a flopper but he's got to use the refs to deter players out to injure him.
As for Christians turning the other cheek all the time, I disagree. Christians are called to be loving and forgiving but be brave to fight injustice, and definitely not a doormat letting others to walk all over you. When robbers come to harm your loved ones, you got to be willing to fight. Same thing with dirty players out to harm your teammates. Get all up in their faces, protect yourself and let them throw the first punch to get thrown out of the game.
He's not soft, he's strong in fact [fortunately, or unfortunately] & there is this stony resolve to endure, to outlast. To remain faithful to Christian ideals against the flow, not to devolve to the level of a thug, but to play bball 'The Right Way.' He keeps doing the difficult thing, going against the grain. [It's admirable, & it will cost him.]
He has to change and find ways to protect himself; he don't have team mates Jared Jeffries and Tyson Chandles in Rockets to protect him, JLJN has to figures it out himself and improvise in every game in order not to get injure again whether by opponents or cause by he way he play.
What you say (refs not giving fouls after Lins statement) kind of makes sense. I understand how one could see it that way. Of course we cant be 100% sure if thats the case or if different refs have just different standards of when to give fouls.
However - you guys have convinced me that the statement to the reporters was definitely not a smart move. Hope that someone has told JLin so he wont do it again :)
But then again - I stand by my point that JLin is not too soft. Soft people dont reject the screen, take on their D by themselves so they can throw a 3 pointer at the end of the game. Diepenbrock has commented on this too. He said "Jeremys got balls".
So let me summarize -> JLin is nice, can be cut-throat and has balls :)
"On Terry's flagrant foul, I remember it to be a mistake for Jeremy to comment that he didn't think it was a flagrant foul after the game. It reflected bad to the refs and it seemed like the refs let other players roughed up Jeremy without giving fouls in the next few weeks."
- Too gracious.
Even if indeed it was not a flagrant foul [even if JJ had been mistaken] he should have accepted the favorable ref call. But he's trying to play bball 'The Right Way' & not wanting to take unfair advantage.
He has very high ideals, & he thinks he is strong enough to tough it out.
He'd come back wiser, from having learned from his NY experience, I think. He's not the type to insist on doing things his way out of stubborness, or pride, if clearly its ineffective. [He's the consummate learner, the perfect student, open.]
I wish he could get better advise. Obviously staying above the fray is not an option. [& just stoically working on himself & simply tuning the 'negativity' out can be downright fatal.]
I know too much "exaggeration" on fouls can backfire in not earning respect from other players. It's a hard act to balance but necessary.
Flopping is basically "acting" intentionally when there was no fouls. And it includes pleading to the refs excessively. It shouldn't be like Chris Paul dropping to the floor with a single touch.
But when people start ganging up on you to give hard/flagrant fouls to deter Jeremy from driving to the basket, he can't just suck it up pretending there're no fouls and act tough. He's got to give non-verbal acts to signal the refs the hack job is happening without complaining. If necessary, give them some cold stares to tell them he doesn't appreciate it. With bullies, you got to confront them in the eyes so they back off. You don't need to throw punches but he also needs to learn to protect himself to avoid long-term injuries.
"On Terry's flagrant foul, I remember it to be a mistake for Jeremy to comment that he didn't think it was a flagrant foul after the game. It reflected bad to the refs and it seemed like the refs let other players roughed up Jeremy without giving fouls in the next few weeks."
I wonder if Jeremy just didn't want to appear to be a whiner? I think that looking like a whiner can be even more deadly to a player's rep, then brushing off a flagrant. What is important is his response on the court. JLin appears to be bulking up big time this summer - last reported at 212 lbs - he may speak softly on the court, but I hope he uses his strength to set people straigh by playing a physical, yet smart, game.
I think so too. He's just being too honest that he didn't feel it was a flagrant when he told Terry. But he didn't expect Terry to broadcast it and made the ref look bad. Even Terry said he should have wrapped him up instead of bumping (possibly with the shoulder). It's a gray area but when in doubt, trust the refs :)
He did earn the respect from the Dallas players from playing tough in that game, though. Yes, I'd like to see him using his strength to back down smaller PGs in offense and not give an inch to them on defense. Let's see what the critics would say then.
This vid needs to be shown to every child growing up. Before they get hit by the avalanche of lies from the outside world.
ReplyDeleteWow, I was surprised that J Kidd really did pull Jeremy's hair. In the past, I never really thought he pulled his hair despite watching that particular foul. But now, since it is viewed in a slower motion, I'm astonished that there was some hair-pulling that happened. The fouls shown in the video were really hard, no wonder he got injured.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the first video was so powerful. The message was clear especially the speeches. The editing of the video was amazing. The only thing I dislike was hearing another rant from "somebody" (I won't even mention his name, he is not worth it).
I was impress by JLIN dedication, hardworking and perseverance. Never say never and persistant in pursuing your dream whole heartedly. He cleared obstacles in the past to get into NBA and there will be more obstruction and bigger challenges he facing and will be shove in front of him; my only contribution is continous spiritual support and prays for his wellbeings and pray for him to remain steadfast under trials and turbulances, everyday.
DeleteI know I'm beating a dead horse here...but Jlin better man up and defend himself on the court. He can be the nicest guy off the court which he should be, but this Kidd thing is just one of many incidents that will continue to occur if he allows it. If he doesn't, we can all go back to ignoring the NBA again because he won't be playing for very long.
DeleteI hope his teammates have his back in Houston..I didn't see any retribution in New York when he was getting slammed.
Yes, they need a crazy guy who has Lin's back. Hopefully White is that guy. Also, guys like Iman, Jeffries, and Chandler would have gotten into a shoving match last year with people if it was actually Lin's knicks. But because it was not and Lin was a rental 2nd year scrub (on paper at least), they didn't feel comfortable enough sticking their neck out. But because Carmelo and to a lesser extent Stat& JR could care less if Lin was permanently crippled, Lin was allowed to get pummeled during that stretch just before Danotni quit/was forced out.
DeleteThe players who believe in Lin's ability on the Court will have his back on the Court. Machado and those type of guys will never have Lin's back. I don't want those type of guys on the Rockets for that reason. I don't really see Parsons or Delfino as fighters, but hopefully they at least have Lin's back if he gets decked on a cheapshot. I can see Asik, White, and maybe Dmo sticking up for Lin or cheap shotting the other team back later. Lin needs a Charles Oakley, Rick Fox, Rodman cheap shot artist.
Lets remember here too, there's no Carmelo & Stat whining for the ball or feeling obligated cause they make more money. Lin will have the ball and pass to people who have his back on the Court and/or make good things happen. Lin is talented enough to discreetly freeze out those he does not like or does not trust, and the rotations will adjust accordingly.
It would be great that a teammate has Lin's back, but to get the respect of his teammates and other players in the league, he needs to protect himself. Check this video out of two of the great guys in the NBA who were killers on the court: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcGk-TjlHwc . Jlin needs to know it is a battle on the court..friendships and being a good,forgiving Christian should be left off the court where his impact will be greatest anyway. If not, Linsanity won't last.
DeleteIt's too bad that the Rockets don't have Chuck Hayes anymore.
DeleteThat guy is an old school enforcer who'll take on anybody. He would have been the ideal teammate to stand up for the young Rockets.
If JLin were put in the same position as Stockton, I would be surprised if JLin did not react.
DeleteFor the Kidd's pulling the hair play, I think JLin did not react with his instincts because firstly it probably happened so fast that JLin did not know what hit him, and secondly it is arguable (at least at the moment without the benefit of seeing a slow mo replay) that Kidd was making a play at the ball. Thus, JLin may have been able to give Kidd the benefit of the doubt that his swipe was unintentional. (Btw, in my books, Kidd's hard follow through and pulling the hair to make sure JLin doesn't get the shot off was intentional, definitely dirty, and going way beyond an unintentional natural follow through after making a play at the ball.)
With swinging elbows, it would be hard for JLin to massage the situation and to overlook the fact that it was intentional. If even in the face of an intentional attempt at causing him injury JLin is able to keep his cool, I must say hats off to this guy's control!
So basically, I would not be worried about JLin not standing up for himself in response to clearly malicious actions. I'd fully expect him to react, unless where JLin cannot at that moment be clear about the offender's intentions.
The NBA is a great league but also a joke all at the same time. If the NBA wants Lin to fail, the refs will swallow their whistle and call bs fouls, carrys etc. on him. If the NBA wants Lin to be the Asian Michael Jordan, they will have the refs make it happen. Lin can still get his stats and look good or bad all on his own, but it's up to the NBA to protect him. Lin's not an MMA fighter, there's only so much he can do to retaliate. Imagine if he actually tried to punch Kidd in the face - the majority of the NBA would be out for blood, and the media would turn on Lin as a fake Christian and pretend goodie 2 shoes.
DeleteIt's up to the NBA to protect Lin by calling fouls and flagrant fouls properly during and after the game. The NBA said Kidd's play was clean upon review, whatever. Kobe got suspended for arguably less dirty plays (it was totally dirty though so I applaud the NBA) a few years back when he constantly did his "unnatural" shot follow through swacking only European NBA players in the face so hard they started to bleed. Kobe's not stupid, he knew other black players would punch him in the balls like super talented but dirty little CP3 likes to do on occasion.
But Lin, since he is the lone Asian American in the NBA, cannot do little dirty CP3 plays because of the American double standard. Lin will be called out as dirty and all the other NBA players will peg Lin as dirty and spread the word to the media. Because Lin is Asian, his dirtiness will be magnified times 100.
Unless someone flat out does something so dirty, even SAS feels sorry for Lin, then Lin cannot retaliate. Lin must have the NBA and his Rocket teammates doing it for him...
As an Asian American who's considered less than men of all other colors, Lin needs to breathe fire and lay the smackdown on guys.
DeleteIf that means cursing people out and getting in fights, so be it. If it means suspension and fines, GOOD.
I had this one student who was Taiwanese American in the 5th grade. He was a well adjusted boy, but people headhunted him. He eventually got into a fight with an attacker, punched the aggressor a few times in the chest, and stood his ground. Afterwards, nobody would mess with the kid and he became a well accepted youth baseball player.
Lin has just gotta administer the beatdowns. As the most headhunted target in NBA history, Lin needs to be a MAN and beat down anybody that comes after him.
Lin can follow the David Robinson model: doing just enough to protect himself. There are plenty of evangelical Christians in the NBA who defend themselves without being thuggish or vindictive, so Lin defending and protecting himself should pose no ethical dilemma.
DeleteAnother thing on David Robinson ... after years of taking a ton of nonsense on and off the court from players, media and fans (I still remember when Karl Malone knocked him out cold with a dirty, totally unnecessary and 100% intentional elbow to the face, and Malone showed no remorse whatsoever) Robinson did finally get a title (which Malone never got) and got it his way. So, if Robinson did fine while going up against some of the more unsavory elements in the NBA, Lin will too.
DeleteDavid Robinson is an EXCELLENT role model for Lin as far as violence goes.
DeleteRobinson made sure he shoved back at players who tried to get rough with him. Joe Smith and Kevin Garnett both were attacked by David Robinson when they got too rough.
I have a hunch that Jeremy might follow in the path of David Robinson, the Admiral, another strong Christian in the NBA.
DeleteRemember when Malone threw a vicious elbow on the Admiral's head and knocked him out. He did not retaliate with punches, shook it off and just came back strong showing he was not easily intimidated. He's going to come back strong and unafraid.
I see Jeremy did the same thing after JKidd's intentional hard foul. It might not be the bravado and macho way as some of us would like to see to confront bullies but it's courage nonetheless.
Personally, I'd like to see some glare and serious stare to those delivering cheapshots just to let them know he won't back down. I sure hope NBA will protect their biggest Asia investment and his teammates would come to his defense if necessary.
Just a short observation about the discussion...I think there is general agreement that JLin should defend himself. The disagreement seems to be on what he should do and perhaps to a lesser extent disagreement on when he should do it.
DeleteWith regards to when (in what situations, when is it crossing the line etc) type questions, it seems like JLin as Asian needs to overcompensate in the sense that he needs to confront even on borderline cases. Because he is Asian he needs to do more confronting compared to players of other ethnicities to establish himself as someone not to be messed with. He cannot to afford to err on the side of caution because he is Asian. If he does, players will keep putting him at risk.
With regards to how he should confront, the most effective way is probably to just lay the smack down on those players coming after him. Throw some punches, dish out some dirty plays, elbow a few in their faces, maybe even injure a few. The most effective way to stop being a bully is to be a bully yourself.
Now, if the only concern is to protect and defend himself, all of the above is probably the most effective. But JLin's personality also comes into play to colour the answers to the when and how to defend himself questions. His perceived meek personality seems to be a complaint. What is objectionable about this perceived personality is that it is holding him back from imposing himself as someone not it be messed with.
(Why he may come across as having this personality is another question. It may be because he is religious, inherently soft, or because he is Asian. For the record I don't think any of these stereotypes are justified. They may or may not play a role in shaping his personality. What I see at the end of the day is not a pushover, but actually quite the aggressive assertive courageous proud thoughtful Asian man.)
The answer of what is the most effective way to assert himself seems to be clear. Be a bully yourself. A more deferential approach would be to defend yourself, erring on the side of aggression, to compensate for being a targeted Asian. A more Christian approach will probably be even more deferential, erring on the side of caution, but to be sure not ruling out Stockton or Robinson type reactions. It is clear what I think is the correct approach, but I certainly think it reasonable for others to advocate other approaches. It all comes down to what we feel should be JLin's top priority concerns.
Lol just realise it didn't end up being short at all.
Delete"I hope his teammates have his back in Houston..I didn't see any retribution in New York when he was getting slammed."
Delete- He can change this by actively cultivating alliances in the locker room, concrete alliances not fuzzy 'friendships.' Obviously the best allies are ones who has much to gain from your own success, [& much to lose from your failure.] People whose fate are tied to yours [like D'Antoni's was to JLin.] He should not be indiscriminate with his favor, & losing his friendship should carry a cost. [Some might see this as machiavellian, but really, power relationships must be managed, they are never organic. He wants to be a pastor after all, that's crudely a manager, who needs to always exist one meta-level up from his flock anyway. So.]
"But because Carmelo and to a lesser extent Stat& JR could care less if Lin was permanently crippled, Lin was allowed to get pummeled during that stretch just before Danotni quit/was forced out."
- It was unfortunate that Stat [being 1 of the 'stars' in the team = opinion carried some weight with the other players] did not have the foresight to understand that to support JLin is to his self-interest. He was probably reacting to 'Linsanity' as a star whose shine was being threatened, & failed to see how disastrous it would be for him if D'Antoni is forced out. It didn't help that JLin had better chemistry with Tyson. No one was thinking further down the road.
"Machado and those type of guys will never have Lin's back. I don't want those type of guys on the Rockets for that reason."
- Machado alone is not much, but his presence in the locker room will embolden other disgruntled players to follow suit [& mutiny, if the opportunity present itself.] I hope JLin wouldn't think being involved in locker politics is beneath him, for he needs to take a pro-active approach & not simply depend on people to be honorable & 'do the right thing.' He's in a more dominant position now with the Rockets, & he should not give away this advantage by being all nice & democratic. Dominate. This will also reassure his allies they are not following someone who'll just lay down & roll over. In short, that he's someone worth investing themselves in, someone worth their fight.]
"Lin is talented enough to discreetly freeze out those he does not like or does not trust, and the rotations will adjust accordingly."
Delete- Hopefully he will see the wisdom in this & not try to be 'unbiased'. There must be a cost to crossing him. [& value to being loyal to him.]
"For the Kidd's pulling the hair play, I think JLin did not react with his instincts because firstly it probably happened so fast that JLin did not know what hit him, and secondly it is arguable (at least at the moment without the benefit of seeing a slow mo replay) that Kidd was making a play at the ball. Thus, JLin may have been able to give Kidd the benefit of the doubt that his swipe was unintentional."
- He seemed bewildered that his team mates were so quiet, & took his cue from them.
"If even in the face of an intentional attempt at causing him injury JLin is able to keep his cool, I must say hats off to this guy's control!"
- Perhaps another form of self-control would be to curb his instinctive tendency to be rational/ conciliatory & instead, will himself to respond more emotionally [for the greater good.]
"Lin's not an MMA fighter, there's only so much he can do to retaliate. Imagine if he actually tried to punch Kidd in the face - the majority of the NBA would be out for blood, and the media would turn on Lin as a fake Christian and pretend goodie 2 shoes."
- Absolutely, he will be denounced as a hypoccrite. This will probably cause him far more pain than anything else, since he puts his Christian identity above all else [He'd probably feel like he'd represented Christianity in a bad light...] The best scenario would be to inspire enough loyalty from his team mates that they fight for him. He himself should actively repulse violence against hi. But to intentionally commit them against others, I cannot envision him doing.
"If someone had stood up for him (team, coach, self), we might have been able to get a taste of playoff linsanity. Who knows what good things would have came from that."
- His secret haters in the Nyk couldn't have been happier he was getting beat-up, & the rest were too unsure whether to cast their lot with him or not [& offend Melo & co by default.] His idealistic ways makes him look naive, does not inspire confidence...
"Lin doesn't have to punch anyone, but some good stare downs and maybe a shoving match from him..... Coupled with some guys willing to rumble for him. That may be enough."
Delete- True. Obviously hard stares & shoving back means nothing if there no real threat of a smackdown backing it up. He needs to be able to inspire his team mates to step-up for him.
"As an Asian American who's considered less than men of all other colors, Lin needs to breathe fire and lay the smackdown on guys.
If that means cursing people out and getting in fights, so be it. If it means suspension and fines, GOOD...Lin has just gotta administer the beatdowns. As the most headhunted target in NBA history, Lin needs to be a MAN and beat down anybody that comes after him."
- Could it be he's getting some very passive advice? [Remember the advice kids always get when bullied in school? "Just ignore them, & concentrate on your business."]
He'll be playing with Jeremy Lamb, who's father is a devout Christian, a former player & now a coach [so he has a distinct understanding of this situation that JLin's pastor would not.] Perhaps advice from another Christian who's approach might be more aggressive will help resolve any internal conflict in his part about retaliation.
"And Robinson's legacy is one of the most GODLY AND GREAT players in recent NBA history. So, again I'm not buying religious prevention of SIMPLY DEFENDING YOURSELF."
- The thing is, there are ballplayers who happen to be Christian, & Christians who happen to be ballplayers. JLin identifies as the latter. He sees his bball career a merely a means to an end, the end of which is to serve God fully, as a pastor. Bball to him is merely a platform in the service of his true calling with the Church. I think he's extra wary of doing anything that might have a whiff of violence [not out of fear, but out of concern for his Christian reputation.]
There is no doubt that he would absolutely stand up against any kind of injustice, & defend someone weaker, or a loved-one, absolutely no doubt. As for advocating for oneself, I keep thinking about his favorite bible verse:
Romans 5:3-5
3 Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
Bec he has such great capacity & endurance, & he tends to be hard on himself [& very self-disciplining & striving,] I hope he's not going to try take on the hits & just try to work over them [Bec he thinks he's strong enough to take them & doesn't want to "whine."]
@wilsc
Delete"The most effective way to stop being a bully is to be a bully yourself."
- I just can't see him doing this. There was a time when he was with GSW & desperately trying to fit his game with GSW, he was so miserable he considered quitting. Bec there was no more joy. It was pointless for him. I would think something like forcing himself to 'bully' others would be a nightmare for him as it is so against his principles.
"His perceived meek personality seems to be a complaint."
- I don't see him as meek, necesssarily. But long-suffering, persevering. He prefers to take on things, to endure through, to test his limits this way. Maybe even overly confident about his capacity. Also, he might think acting thuggish is beneath him as a Christian. [He's supposed to be better than this.]
Chills, watching this. What an inspiration. Never let anyone define who you are...
ReplyDeleteKFC press con
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y7oo1p9pe6o
KFC ad
http://video.sina.com.cn/v/b/83681392-1687422352.html
JLin on D Howard to Lakers
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsOP9qc_ABs
Volvo keeps tweaking JLin's schedule, wonder if he'll connect with Yao before this asia tour is over...
Deletehttp://www.oneasianworld.com/2012/08/jeremy-lin-attends-event-in-shanghai-yao-ming-chills-with-rhinos-in-africa/
KFC press con [longer]:
DeleteAbout the possibility of joining Team China, Rockets
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RupR7C7Yurs
About his Chinese proficiency, being the best Chinese player, Shanghai
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pf6S66wLt5g
SAS would be the perfect villain in a JLin movie.
ReplyDeleteRockets open preseason against Thunder on Oct 10
ReplyDeletehttp://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2012/08/rockets-open-preseason-against-thunder-on-oct-10/
Thanks, via. Do you know when the Rockets' training camp is supposed to start, and what their schedule is?
DeleteOh duh, it says training camp starts on 10/1 in the article.
DeletePlease stop talking about JLin being too nice, respectful and religios to defend himself. By doing so you are just repeating silly stereotypes about asians and religios people. Its true that they were hard on him. But to some point - thats part of the game. If the refs allow the opponent a tough game - that means you can and should play tough as well.
ReplyDeleteWatch this. After Lin steals the ball from Kobe he is being pushed by Kobe for no reason. Its like a pecking order thing. JLin pushed right back like "I dont care who you are. Dont you dare touch me again". Watch at 0:15:07
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yP4Xfk9PGY
I did watch that game but back then I didnt even notice that push until I read an interview with JLins friend and former coach Diepenbrock. Diepenbrock commented (on Kobe pushing Lin - Lin pushing back) as follows: "That was Jeremy. He's a nice guy, but he's cut-throat." Diepenbrock should know JLin better than we do right?
So you see - being nice and friendly off court doesnt mean you are a weakling on court. Jeremy is no weakling! Of course - you only have to endure other players aggression to some extent. Like here where JLin is fouled by Jason Terry at 3:20 with no play on the ball:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSquLYvCxGM
The foul itself is not so interesting. Whats interesting is the follow up by Jared Jeffries who settles it immediately. I have no idea what he said to Terry but I imagine its like: "You wanna settle this outside? You touch JLin again Im gonna trash you!" Anyway - thats how teammates stick together.
JLin once said that Jared Jeffries has embraced him even before he got to play a single minute. Thats why im kind of sad about them not playing together anymore. I would love to see them play together again.
Regarding the Terry thing, Lin actually told reporters he told Terry it wasn't a flagrant foul. Google it.
DeleteIMO, it was a foolish thing to do. Terry is not your friend. He's out for blood and you should be, too.
And the stereotype of Christians being soft is out there for a reason. Let's hope Jeremy doesn't perpetuate that stereotype.
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Delete@TVN:
DeleteMaybe Jeremy only said so to win over peoples hearts. How can we know what motivation he had? So - Jeremy treating Kobe like a nobody - you dont respect - you ignore that.
Jeremy being fouled by Terry - you call this kotow and criticise? Just to be sure - youre a JLin fan right?
Jeremy got a 25 Million Dollar contract and has millions of fans around the world for who he is. How can you just say... nope. He kotowed to Terry. He wont get respect that way. Last time I checked Kobe seemed to give respect.
Regarding the stereotypes of christians being good and soft people... have you ever heard about Franco, Mussolini or Hitler? In what countries did they get to power? Werent the majority of people in those countries christians? Werent christians committing atrocities? I really dont want to compare JLin to those evil people. All Im saying is -> there are soft christians, tough christians, good christians and evil christians. Therefor the label "christian" means absolutely nothing.
Excellent observation that Jeremy can handle himself on the court against Kobe, @willydilly.
DeleteOn Terry's flagrant foul, I remember it to be a mistake for Jeremy to comment that he didn't think it was a flagrant foul after the game. It reflected bad to the refs and it seemed like the refs let other players roughed up Jeremy without giving fouls in the next few weeks. Looking back, Jared had the right idea that Terry did not go for the ball and meant to bump Jeremy preventing him from going to the basket.
Jeremy should learn from this mistake to find ways if necessary to signal the refs (not necessarily flop) when other players are out to harm him. Arms flailing, stay on the floor longer to gather himself, grimacing face, etc. I wouldn't encourage Jeremy to be a flopper but he's got to use the refs to deter players out to injure him.
As for Christians turning the other cheek all the time, I disagree. Christians are called to be loving and forgiving but be brave to fight injustice, and definitely not a doormat letting others to walk all over you. When robbers come to harm your loved ones, you got to be willing to fight. Same thing with dirty players out to harm your teammates. Get all up in their faces, protect yourself and let them throw the first punch to get thrown out of the game.
He's not soft, he's strong in fact [fortunately, or unfortunately] & there is this stony resolve to endure, to outlast. To remain faithful to Christian ideals against the flow, not to devolve to the level of a thug, but to play bball 'The Right Way.' He keeps doing the difficult thing, going against the grain. [It's admirable, & it will cost him.]
DeleteHe has to change and find ways to protect himself; he don't have team mates Jared Jeffries and Tyson Chandles in Rockets to protect him, JLJN has to figures it out himself and improvise in every game in order not to get injure again whether by opponents or cause by he way he play.
Delete@Psalm234 and TVN:
DeleteWhat you say (refs not giving fouls after Lins statement) kind of makes sense. I understand how one could see it that way. Of course we cant be 100% sure if thats the case or if different refs have just different standards of when to give fouls.
However - you guys have convinced me that the statement to the reporters was definitely not a smart move. Hope that someone has told JLin so he wont do it again :)
But then again - I stand by my point that JLin is not too soft. Soft people dont reject the screen, take on their D by themselves so they can throw a 3 pointer at the end of the game. Diepenbrock has commented on this too. He said "Jeremys got balls".
So let me summarize -> JLin is nice, can be cut-throat and has balls :)
"On Terry's flagrant foul, I remember it to be a mistake for Jeremy to comment that he didn't think it was a flagrant foul after the game. It reflected bad to the refs and it seemed like the refs let other players roughed up Jeremy without giving fouls in the next few weeks."
Delete- Too gracious.
Even if indeed it was not a flagrant foul [even if JJ had been mistaken] he should have accepted the favorable ref call. But he's trying to play bball 'The Right Way' & not wanting to take unfair advantage.
He has very high ideals, & he thinks he is strong enough to tough it out.
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Delete@# 1 j
DeleteHe'd come back wiser, from having learned from his NY experience, I think. He's not the type to insist on doing things his way out of stubborness, or pride, if clearly its ineffective. [He's the consummate learner, the perfect student, open.]
I wish he could get better advise. Obviously staying above the fray is not an option. [& just stoically working on himself & simply tuning the 'negativity' out can be downright fatal.]
@# 1 j,
DeleteI know too much "exaggeration" on fouls can backfire in not earning respect from other players. It's a hard act to balance but necessary.
Flopping is basically "acting" intentionally when there was no fouls. And it includes pleading to the refs excessively. It shouldn't be like Chris Paul dropping to the floor with a single touch.
But when people start ganging up on you to give hard/flagrant fouls to deter Jeremy from driving to the basket, he can't just suck it up pretending there're no fouls and act tough. He's got to give non-verbal acts to signal the refs the hack job is happening without complaining. If necessary, give them some cold stares to tell them he doesn't appreciate it. With bullies, you got to confront them in the eyes so they back off. You don't need to throw punches but he also needs to learn to protect himself to avoid long-term injuries.
JLin's message to a 7yr old boy with Leukemia
ReplyDeletehttp://p.twimg.com/A0efxmPCMAMwAPu.jpg
SAS can only be a clown, being a villain is an upgrade for him...
ReplyDelete"On Terry's flagrant foul, I remember it to be a mistake for Jeremy to comment that he didn't think it was a flagrant foul after the game. It reflected bad to the refs and it seemed like the refs let other players roughed up Jeremy without giving fouls in the next few weeks."
ReplyDeleteI wonder if Jeremy just didn't want to appear to be a whiner? I think that looking like a whiner can be even more deadly to a player's rep, then brushing off a flagrant. What is important is his response on the court. JLin appears to be bulking up big time this summer - last reported at 212 lbs - he may speak softly on the court, but I hope he uses his strength to set people straigh by playing a physical, yet smart, game.
I think so too. He's just being too honest that he didn't feel it was a flagrant when he told Terry. But he didn't expect Terry to broadcast it and made the ref look bad. Even Terry said he should have wrapped him up instead of bumping (possibly with the shoulder). It's a gray area but when in doubt, trust the refs :)
DeleteHe did earn the respect from the Dallas players from playing tough in that game, though.
Yes, I'd like to see him using his strength to back down smaller PGs in offense and not give an inch to them on defense. Let's see what the critics would say then.
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ReplyDeleteTouched my heart.
ReplyDelete