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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 2013)
News Jeremy Lin: The ‘Linsanity’ Interview J eremy Lin was born in Los Angeles, Calif., on Aug. 23, 1988, to Taiwanese immigrant par- ents. Encouraged by his father, he developed a love of basketball at an early age. Raised in a Christian family, Jeremy’s faith guided and supported him as he chased his hoop dream of playing basketball in the NBA. Known for his relentless work off court and on, the young phenom led his Palo Alto high school team to a state title against nationally- ranked Mater Dei, an overwhelming favorite. Despite his All- State level play, however, no Divi- sion 1 college recruited Jeremy. So, he enrolled at Harvard Universi- ty, which does not offer athletic scholarships. Undrafted by the NBA out of college, he nevertheless impressed scouts in the sum- mer league going up against the No. 1 draft pick. He was eventually signed—but later cut—by the Golden State Warriors. A brief stint in Houston ended unceremo- niously on Christmas Day, 2011. Jeremy was subsequently picked up by the New York Knicks. In early on the verge of C ELEBRITY 2012, being cut again, he rose I NTERVIEW to prominence as a starter, unlikely team leader and improbable by Kam NBA sensation. Williams “Linsanity” was born! He’s been the Houston Rockets’ starting point guard since landing a three-year, $25 million deal. Whether facing racial taunts as a child, or being underestimated on the court, Jere- my Lin consistently points to his faith as his means of deal- ing with both disappointment and success. Here, he talks about Linsanity, the new docu- m e n t a r y chronicling both his commitment to Christ and his meteoric rise to superstardom. My best career decision was probably not giving up when I wanted to. God as well as my family and friends were there for me during my toughest times. Kam Williams: Hi Jeremy, thanks for the interview. Jeremy Lin: My pleasure, Kam. KW: Why did you allow a film crew to shoot this documentary, especially since they started following you around while you were still at Harvard, well before you became an overnight NBA sensation? Did THE SKANNER ON YOUTUBE You can view videos of interviews from local stories on www.youtube.com/user/TheSkannerNews Page 8 The Portland Skanner October 30, 2013 Jeremy Lin and Chandler Parsons you have a hunch about how your story was going to turn out? JL: I agreed to film after my rookie year in Golden State. I was more used to cameras and felt that my journey to the NBA was a story worth sharing. Little did we know how much bigger the platform and docu- mentary would become after Linsanity. KW: I know you were raised by a father who loved basketball and a mother who encouraged you to pursue your dream. But would you nevertheless say that they put even more of an emphasis on faith, family and academics? JL: Absolutely! Faith, family, academics and then sports was the order of priorities in my family. My parents really stuck to these principles when raising me and my two brothers. As long as we took care of every- See LIN on page 10
