Check out any recent sports story about NBA basketball team the New York Knicks, and you'll be sure to see headlines likes, 'Linning Streak,' 'Lin Your Face,' or 'May the Best Man Lin.'
But what exactly are these headlines referring to? The answer: Jeremy Lin.
Lin, a point guard for the New York Knicks and the first Chinese-American player in NBA history, is on a storybook run in his first four games as a starter.
Just a week ago, few fans knew his name or his face, but when Lin takes to the floor for the New York Knicks, all eyes are on him.
But this wasn't always the case. The 23-year-old Harvard graduate was cut by two other NBA teams before the Knicks picked him up and sat him on the bench.
After moving to the starting lineup earlier this month, he scored more than points in his first four starts, 109, than any other NBA player since 1976. And fans around the world have been dazzled by plays like this one.
Note to teachers: At the 43 second mark in the video, Ray Suarez and Jeff Yang of The Wall Street Journal explore how an unknown basketball player suddenly captured the attention of the NBA, the sports world and beyond.
Quotes
" I think the thing that's fascinating obviously for Asian-Americans is that there really has never been anyone like him before, I mean, not just in basketball, but arguably in sports," - Jeff Yang, The Wall Street Journal.
"He's got a huge amount of talent, but has been effectively ignored. And, overnight, like a Cinderella story, he becomes the biggest news in all of New York and maybe all the world," - Jeff Yang, The Wall Street Journal.
Warm Up Questions
1. What is the NBA?
2. Who is Jeremy Lin?
3. Where did Lin go to college?
Discussion Questions
1. According to the video, what makes Lin unique?
2. Do you think his stardom means a lot for his Asian-American fans? Why or why not?
Additional Resources
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