Linsanity, MD, PhD...NBA.

We are always looking for a hero - someone to inspire us. We all have aspirations to be great, to do something great. We dream of being great.

For most Asians, that dream is to go to an Ivy League school and become a doctor. If you don't have a passion for medicine, or suck at Chemistry like myself, you work hard to become a successful engineer. It's not a false stereotype. It is as calculated as every Asian's near, if not perfect, math score. Arts and athletics are frivolous talents that look good on your application, if there is room. They are most definitely not things you make a living out of. It was unheard of to play it off as more than a pasttime, until Jeremy Lin came along.

Linsanity became such a phenomenon. I recently got to watch the film that documented this phenomenon. You can only imagine the crowd it drew at the theater - the parking lot was full of every Honda imagineable and the entrance full of young Asian Americans seemingly loitering.

The film began by introducing family and the importance of Jeremy's family during his childhood. The supportive mother, the father that shared the love of the sport, and the indescribable bond between the brothers. Jeremy had a dominating high school senior year that disappointingly left him without offers from schools. Patience and faith landed him at Harvard, where he flourished. Halfway through the film you could sense that everyone in the theater was living vicariously through the then 18 year old.

The hardships then set in. Jeremy's faith was tested as he bounced from team to team, NBA to Developmental League. He continued to train and play hard until his opportunity arose. It was the moment everyone remembers...the beginning of Linsanity.

In February of 2012, Lin made his first start as a New York Knick against the Jazz. With Stoudemire and Anthony out, Lin led the team to a win streak of seven. I swear when they showed the 3-point buzzer beater against the Raptors, the entire theater erupted. Two ladies behind me were cheering like they were at the game, witnessing the amazing play for the very first time. A feel good feeling filled the theater. Everyone was wide-eyed and beaming with admiration. Every woman was smiling ear to ear as if they were watching their own son's success.

Linsanity was, and is, a huge part of Asian American culture. We were all witnesses. The life it brought to entire families is immeasurable. Hope, faith, and the overall entertainment value of sports was taken to a whole new level for a demographic mainly concerned with success in academics and one's career, not sports. Jeremy Lin may be coming off the bench this year, but his accomplishments have far exceeded anyone's expectations. Awareness has been brought and will hopefully continue to inspire those who have dreams of being something other than a doctor, lawyer, or engineer.


-bObD