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Linsanity: Doc On Unique Player by Jay Randy Gordon, The MARINsider
Asian-American player captures imagination of America. photo: courtesy 'Linsanity' Producers
PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS UNDEREST-
imated pro basketball player Jeremy Lin. And they continue to do so, a fact made evident at the 2013 Sundance Festival where they added screenings of “Linsanity: The True Story of Jeremy Lin” after it got so many rave reviews. Indeed, it became an Official Selection, see trailer.
This is not just another story about a sports figure coming up from nothing or making millions. Rather, it's about a person driven to succeed in the face of adversity, who believes enough in God and himself to become a ”walking inspiration”, AND the filmmakers who followed him.
“We started [the documentary] before I ever went to New York [to join the Knicks]," Lin explains. "It was all a blessing from God the way everything turned out... now we have a story to tell and share with the whole world.”
“It's night and day... literally overnight, everything changed. [I] went from just trying to hold on to my career, and not knowing if my next day would be my last in the NBA, to now this... It's been a crazy and enjoyable ride.”
As well as gracing the covers of Time Magazine, Sports Illustrated and SLAM, there is a book out called: “Linspired: The Remarkable Rise of Jeremy Lin” (Michael Yorkey, 2012).
Lin and his family are Christians but they believed in him as a person and student as well as a basketball player, although that of course was somewhat unique, considering he's Asian-American with first generation parents from Taiwan and China. Indeed, Lin is ONLY the second such hyphenated American to play in the NBA.
He's also an archetypal American, a typical Northern California kid who grew up playing basketball and idolizing Michael Jordan.
An inspiration at his Palo Alto high school, he led the underdog team to a state championship barely edging out a highly-favored Southern California squad which sported EIGHT players 6'6” or taller! Lin similarly re-ignited the loss-prone Knicks and the bored New York fan base.
'Linsanity' director Evan Leong grew up in San Francisco and attended UCLA. photo: courtesy 'Linsanity' Producers
As hard as this is to believe, Lin is only the second Asian-American player to play in the NBA. The well-known Yao Ming, now 33 years-old and retired from the Houston Rockets, is from China, although he too has become an honorary Californian. He now owns Yao Family Wines, in Napa Valley, as well as the Shanghai Sharks, a team in the emerging CBL—Chinese Basketball League.
Hence, the prejudice against Asian b-ballers. Even though Lin was a "triple threat"—he could shoot from the three (point line), drive to the rack (net) AND play D (defense)—no one thought to sign him to a college Division I scholarship to play ball.
Ironically, Lin was obliged to pursue basketball in the stereotypical Asian-American manner, getting accepted to—guess where?—HARVARD, based entirely on academics, although he immediately joined the Crimson team and started his last three years.
Lin also had to scrape and earn his way to the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and New York Knicks, where he finally did set the world ablaze. There was the “Cinderella Story” night, with the NY Knicks vs. the LA Lakers, which fired up the Linsanity fever.
Then, in 2013, he returned to play for Houston and on Veteran's Day against Toronto, came off the bench to become the game's leading scorer with 31 points,
The word "Linsanity" has joined the lexicon but what it really means is "believing." Lin is one of those rare athletes who follows his faith and believes all along that, if given a chance, he could seize the moment and perform at a high level.
Some athletes transcend their chosen sport and sports in general. Although overnight media sensations are not that rare, when a player's momentum sustains over almost an entire season, you realize the power of an athlete to galvanize attention, even around the globe.
"Linsanity" also features poignant musical arrangements and quality interviews, and in my opinion scores a full ten points. "Loved it!" Local indie impresario Karen Larsen told me.
But some of the biggest believers were producers Brian Yang and Chris Chen, and director Evan Leong of Arowana Films, from San Francisco, although he went to UCLA.
Lin in San Francisco's famous rooftop Chinatown court. photo: courtesy 'Linsanity' Producers
Both Cal-Berkeley grads, Chris Chen hails from Danville while Brian Yang, from Cupertino, attended Monta Vista High School. Chen also worked with Yao Ming and on the film "The Year of the Yao" (2004). Another team member of note is Lin's cousin, e-Commerce entrepreneur and philanthropist Allen Lu, who helped polish the pitch.
Chen mentioned the importance of strategy and planning because the religious Lin family did not want to boast of their son's achievements and shied away from having a film made, although they were eventually convinced. Perhaps this is why the film is imbued with the message that educations pays off.
The filmmakers traveled to Boston on their own dime to document Lin playing for Harvard in Cambridge and continued as he climbed up through the NBA Summer Leagues, the D-League (NBA Developmental League) and into the NBA, back home with the Golden State Warriors.
Unable to nurture or find a place for his talents, the Warriors released Lin and the Houston Rockets picked him up. Similarly failing to put him to use, they left him to his final shot with New York City Knicks, bringing the first climax of the movie. But Lin loves being underestimated and playing for underdogs—which the Knicks very much were!
After teetering on the verge of being cut for what would likely have been a final time, Lin launched. After his first seven NBA starts, Lin had more points and more assists than Magic Johnson, Isaiah Thomas, and John Stockton all NBA All-Stars, see this clip.
Linsanity lifted off in late December 2011, and stayed the course through the 2012 season and reaching pinnacle in 2013. Just ask show host David Letterman (LIN-nerman) about all the LINsanity puns—Linsatiable ? Lin-Nation ? Linside Moves ? Thril-LIN? Linspiration ? — and his Top Ten List.
“Jeremy's story is poignant and relatable through Jeremy's perseverance,” Chen told me. "His story was 'inspirational' to people, particularly for Asian-American kids,” noted Yang.
Filmmakers shooting Lin in New York. photo: courtesy 'Linsanity' Producers
He also said that “basketball is the backdrop through which Jeremy found success and overcame [other] barriers.”
Meanwhile the filmmakers were also struggling. His partner Yang traveled to Boston for several Harvard games, doing a lot of the legwork, as “one of the most resourceful guys I know.”
Yang in turn told me that when they started, they thought they "would have to tell the story as a 'Web series' in six parts, all of which went out the window when the amazing 'Linsanity' phenomenon started."
In addition to shooting on location in Palo Alto, Oakland and San Francisco's Chinatown, with the locally-famous but cramped rooftop court, they went on to shoot in New York and also Hong Kong, Beijing, Taipei, Taiwan to really capture the feeling of Linsanity as it travels around the globe.
The movie poster's tagline is insightful: “Undrafted. Unwanted. Unwavering.” “Rags to Riches stories don't come any richer than this,” is the published quote from LA Times critic Steven Zeitchik.
When it seemed that Lin was down to his final games for the New York Knicks, something magical happened launching a media phenomenon the sports world and its aficionados will not soon forget.
Due to player injuries, New York Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni had little choice but to play Lin, thrusting him onto the starting lineup and one of basketball's largest stage, the Madison Square Garden, and soon he led his team on an unimaginable seven-game winning streak—generating an explosion in social and traditional media.
Today, although not a starting player, Lin is averaging 16 points a game with periodic highs of 32-34, higher than Michael Jordan, making him one of the top sports stories of the last two years. Now he's back with Houston where he is being utilized as more than just a marketing tool like with the mayor. Lin is very accessible and crowds love him.
In recent games, Lin was back to his old ways, shooting 10 of 17, including three three-pointers in 46 minutes of play. “Once I got a couple of shots to go down, everything just slowed for me,” Lin said citing the traditional hyper-time of many athletes.
Lin also puts his money where his mouth is and the Jeremy Lin Foundation dedicated to creating positive change for Youths.
America loves an overnight sensation, a media phenom, and almost more than anything, although we also relish comebacks regardless of what Fitzgerald said about second acts. This odyssey had twists and turns but, ultimately, victories and modest success.
Where can you see the documentary "Linsanity: The True Story of Jeremy Lin” ? Amazon link. Better yet, go see this real life, true, Bay Area story, and catch the Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets on Friday the 13th, December 13 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland.
Jay Randy Gordon, author of 'BusiBUZZ', Founder of Hanukkah Hoops, and Co-Founder of the Sports Mavericks, can be reached .