PLAYING FOR GOD Jeremy Lin

Early Life

Lin was born on August 23, 1988 in Los Angeles and raised in Palo Alto. His paternal grandparents are from Zhangpu County, Fujian, and his maternal grandparents are from Pinghu, Jiaxing, Zhejiang province; his parents were born in Taiwan and went to the States to study in the 60s. The three boys of the Lin family are obsessed with basketball. With God leading the way, Lin had been blessed with many opportunities in sports. Although Chinese players in the NBA are few and far between, Lin took the initiative, because he thought, perhaps, he could break people’s stereotypical impression of Asian men. Therefore, he made up his mind, and strived for his goal to make it in the NBA.

High School Career

Lin is 191cm tall and weights 91 kg, became a famous local player in his high school years. His determination and courageous spirit, as well as his leadership and commanding presence won praises from coaches. In his senior year 2005-2006, 18-year-old Lin captained Palo Alto High School to a 32–1 record and upset nationally ranked Mater Dei for the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Division II state title. He was named as the “first-team All-State” and “Northern California Division II Player of the Year”.

Lost Opportunity

Lin wanted to go to his dream school, Stanford after graduating from high school, but Stanford wanted him to walk-on, rather than be actively recruited or offered a sports scholarship, and so they lost this “pearl in front of the door”. Meanwhile, Harvard on the East Coast guaranteed him a spot on its team. This is how he became known as the “Harvard Kid”.

Undrafted

At Harvard, Lin majored in Economics with a minor in Sociology, was graduated good grades. Lin excelled in basketball. His mix of speed, jumping ability and physical skills were complimented by his dedication, instincts and ability to stay calm under pressure. By his junior year during the 2008–09 season, he had 27 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds in an 82–70 win over 17th-ranked Boston College, receiving news coverage on ESPN in the States. In his senior year, Lin gained national attention for his performance against the 12th ranked Connecticut Huskies, against whom he scored a career-high tying 30 points and grabbed 9 rebounds on the road; however this player that had led Harvard Crimson to many wins in the NCAA went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft. Lin was depressed, but received the support of his family, guidance from church pastors and this spiritual reminder from the word of God: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him (Rom. 8:28). With a renewed spirit Lin worked harder to prepare for trying to enter the NBA.

Golden State Warriors

When the Mavericks gave Lin a workout opportunity in the summer league, he went all-out. Due to his outstanding performance in his training, Los Angeles Golden State Warriors signed a partially guaranteed deal. Lin had achieved his goal. And while the sudden fame brought huge pressure to this rookie, he felt less scrutiny and pressure to perform in the NBA games. In late 2010, Lin was assigned to the Warriors' D-League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns three times, he felt he hit rock bottom. At that time Lin was extremely depressed and disappointed, but on reflection, he realized he shouldn’t make basketball as his idol, but instead, God as his pursuit of life. 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 reminded Lin that he had forgotten his purpose of playing in the court was to glorify God initially, he realized he had been playing to have a good game, to score points, to get glory, to get a contract with the team, and also to meet others’ expectations. The staggering amount of pressure made playing basketball no longer a happy matter; at the same time, the treats of NBA stars, reputation, as well as status was consuming his pure joy towards basketball initially at the fastest speed. Lin said to himself, “I want to trust God!” and Philippians 3:14 redirected Lin and changed his goal, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”, so he made up his mind to give the best to God, make his best efforts for God in the games, and also to trust in Him.

After a year of tough training in the Reno Bighorns, Lin was recalled by the Warriors, he expected to have better opportunities to perform; however, the outcome was not what he intended.

Houston Rockets

The 2011 NBA lockout was the fourth lockout in the history of the NBA, the negotiation between the employers and player union finally reached an agreement on November 25. The Houston Rockets signed Lin. Unfortunately, in less than a week, without really getting a chance, he was released by the Rockets. At that moment, he was like on a boat in the stormy sea, with the faith in God, he chose to stand firm with God in confidence, listen to Him, walk on the water with him. The New York Knicks claimed Lin off waivers on December 27 to be a backup behind Toney Douglas and Mike Bibby after an injury to guard Iman Shumpert; recently-signed guard Baron Davis was also injured and weeks away from playing.

New York Knicks

Lin, being recalled, was placed fourth on the point guard depth chart by coach Mike D'Antoni. On January 17 2012, Lin was assigned to the Erie BayHawks of the D-League. On January 20, with the attitude of “Using the best of me to fight for the Lord”, he had a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists in the BayHawks' 122–113 victory over the Maine Red Claws.

Recalled by the Knicks

Lin was recalled by the Knicks three days later; however his basketball career wasn’t that smooth. Since Lin had played only 55 minutes through the Knicks' first 23 games, the Knicks considered releasing Lin before his contract became guaranteed on February 10 so they could sign a new player.

Undefeated for Six Games

On February 4, against the New Jersey Nets and All-Star guard Deron Williams, the Knicks played so bad and Iman Shumpert got into foul trouble, coach Mike D'Antoni decided to give Lin a chance to play. Opportunity dances with those who are ready on the dance floor; Lin had 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists—all career-highs—in a 99–92 Knicks victory. In the subsequent game against the Utah Jazz, Lin made his first career start playing without stars Anthony, who left the game due to injury, and Amar'e Stoudemire, whose older brother had died. Lin had 28 points and 8 assists in the Knicks' 99–88 win.

In a 107–93 win over the Washington Wizards, Lin played against John Wall and had 23 points and 10 assists, his first double-double. On February 10, Lin scored a new career-high 38 points and had 7 assists, leading the Knicks in their 92–85 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. He outscored the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, who had 34 points. On February 11, Lin scored 20 points and had 8 assists in a narrow 100–98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

On February 14, with less than a second remaining, Lin scored a game-winning three-pointer against the Toronto Raptors.

“Thank God for all this.” Lin gives the glory to God.

“Linsanity”

After the victory over the Lakers, in an instant, Lin made the cover of Time, and other sports magazines, and his surname, “Lin” has created a variety of new vocabulary, “Linsanity”, “Lin-finity”, “Lin-possible”, “Lincredible”, “Linternational”,... etc. The world found Linsanity irresistible through the social media and social networks.

Splendid Feats

The Knicks made a seven-game winning streak record with Lin being the starting lineup for six games and broke a number of league records. But in the game with the New Orleans Hornets, the Knicks eventually lost 85-89 to New Orleans Hornets, which Jeremy Lin had 26 points and 9 turnovers.

In Lin’s previous 3rd, 4th and 5th games of being in the starting lineup, his scoring total reached 89, 109 and 136 respectively. These 3 numbers were the most by any NBA player since the league merged with the ABA in 1976-1977. Lin was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 assists and 2.0 steals in those four starts with the Knicks going undefeated. He humbly said, “Thank the team, thank fans, thank God.”

Latest News

In July 2012, Houston Rockets gave Jeremy Lin a 3-year contract, and indicated that they would mentor Lin and develop the team around him.

Stardom / Missionary

Because of Lin’s splendid performance in the games, his name was often mentioned in the same breath with Tim Tebow, an American football quarterback, saying he is a sports star, as well as a missionary. Having notoriety of being the first Harvard graduate since 1953 and also the first Asian-American entering the NBA, Lin was not infatuated, but in fact, humbly shared credits with his team, and did not forget to glorify God. He understands that glory was but a temporary, and doesn’t let the fame change him.

Rising Stars Challenge

On February 16, Lin was invited to play in the “Rising Stars Challenge” during NBA All-Star Weekend. Some media outlets—including USA Today and Los Angeles Times—stated that he deserved to play in the All-Star Game. On February 17, NBA official twitter announced that Lin was going to play in the “Rising Stars Challenge” during the All-Star Weekend. Lin was also voted as one the Forbes' list “America's Most Influential Athletes”, based on a survey conducted by Nielsen and E-Poll with 1100 citizens.

Parental Influence

Jeremy Lin’s faith is the main factor in his success, as well as the love, support and guidance from his family. His father’s passion for basketball deeply affected his three sons, along with his parents' faith and regular church attendance. When Lin became involved in his church’s youth fellowship, he would invite friends and classmates to join the gatherings and play basketball. During his high school years, Lin’s parents would always give him feedback after the games, encouraging him to remain humble and to learn from his mistakes.

As Christians, Lin’s parents see their children as a gift from God. Proverbs 22:6 is their motto: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Lin’s parents realized that their ability is limited, and they can only rely on Jesus. Psalm 127 is also important to them: “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain”. They understood that the best way to raise their children is to bring them to God. They learned to let go so that Jeremy could follow God’s will for his life by assessing his interests and abilities. Lin’s parents also emphasized friendships, character and faith above worldly success and encouraged their children to do the same.

Support from Brothers

In addition to having the support of his parents, Lin’s two brothers are his biggest fans. Before Lin was signed by the Knicks, Lin was still sleeping on his brother’s couch.‭

Attitude

Though negative comments have been made, Lin chooses to look past any forms of discrimination aimed in his direction. His ability to do this comes from his reliance on God’s command to love our enemies.

Prayer Life

Before every game, the team chaplain holds a worship service that Lin regularly attends. He will glorify God as a NBA player, but his first and foremost concern is the team, not his personal performance. When asked how he was able to put the interests of his team above his own, Lin emphasized that – though he battles with pride every day – he reminds himself that he is only a sinner saved by grace and all of his abilities come from God.

Spiritual Life

Amidst the busyness of his NBA life, it is difficult for Lin to attend regular church gatherings. When he is on the road, he uses social networking to share his faith journey with friends. His friendship with fellow Christians and his daily walk with God have allowed him to better combat the inevitable temptations that professional athletes face. 1 Corinthians 9:25-26 serves as a reminder to focus on the sport, rather than being sidelined by temptations: “…that everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air.”

Choice of Jersey

Lin selected “7” for his jersey because the number seven is significant in the Bible – it represents completion. Because of his faith in God, Lin has often expressed how he feels that God is leading him, supernaturally guiding his moves during games.

Being an Evangelist

Lin has been an active evangelist ever since he was a student, seeking to share the gospel with those he encounters. He envisions that the day he retires from his basketball career, he will invest his life into full time ministry work.

Slam Dunk in Life

The media has taken notice of Jeremy Lin, often highlighting his faith, and a new term has been coined: “Linsanity”. His desire is for God to receive the glory in the midst of his accomplishments. ‭