Lin Rises from Nobody to a Super Star

身高1.91米，体重91千克，拥有如此接近于普通人身体条件的华裔球员林书豪，一夜之间成了全世界最炙手可热的球星。在2月4日尼克斯队对新泽西网队的比赛中，以候补身份出场的他拿下全场最高25分，外加7次助攻，由此“一战成名”。在人们以为他的爆发只是昙花一现时，他却在接下来的几场比赛中延续了自己的神奇表现，令媒体不由惊呼，称之为Linsanity（林来疯）和Linfinite(林无极)，一时之间，他的风头甚至盖过了湖人队的超级巨星科比。

In December, 2011, he was cut by both the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets. He was signed by the Knicks on December 27 and was technically the fifth point guard. Early in February, he was still unsure if he would be cut again by the Knicks. But these became distant memories since the unforgettable minutes he played on February 4. He is Jeremy Lin, or Linsanity, as the Washington Post called.

Lin was born in California in 1988 and raised in a Christian family. Lin’s parents, Gie-Ming and Shirley Lin, immigrated to California from Taiwan in the mid-1970s. The Harvard graduate went undrafted in June 2010. He then signed a two-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, his favorite team. He made his NBA debut in the Warriors-Clippers game on October 29, officially becoming the first American of Chinese descent to play in the NBA. But the 2010-11 season did not turn out to be a memorable one for him, as he only played in 29 games, averaging 2.6 points in 9.8 minutes. The Warriors gave up Lin in December, 2011. Houston Rockets signed him three days later but cut him on December 24. He then joined the Knicks but remained as a bench warmer until February 4 when Davis suffered from a back injury. He scored 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists―all career-highs―in 36 minutes off the bench, which won the Knicks a 99：92 victory over the New Jersey Nets. He himself then rose from nobody to a super star for such a splendid performance.

Lin called his rags-to-riches NBA story “a miracle from God”, adding that it is more than just a coincidence that everything is suddenly breaking right for him. “You can try to call it coincidence,” Lin continued, “but at the end of the day, there are 20, 30 things that had to happen at the right time in order for me to be here. That’s why I call it a miracle.”

While fans embrace their newest star, there are some different voices. Some people said that race, not talent, was responsible for the attention Lin is receiving. Someone called Mayweather wrote on Twitter, “Jeremy Lin is a good player, but all the sensation is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise.”

Lin, who has remained grounded and humble over the past two weeks despite his sudden fame, managed to stay clear of the controversy.

When asked how he is handling his sudden fame, Lin said, “I try not to pay attention to it, and spend a lot of time with my family and friends in my free time. When I’m with the team I stay focused; we know what we have to do... and just staying in my bible basically.”

Quotes on Lin

It’s indescribable. It’s something I’ve never seen growing up in this game. He’s a great kid. It has to inspire you.

―Landry Fields, Lin’s New York Knicks teammate

I know who he is, but I don’t really know what’s going on too much with him. I don’t even know what he’s done. Like, I have no idea what you guys are talking about. I’ll take a look at it tonight though ... Jesus Christ. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

―Kobe Bryant

What I see from Jeremy and what I hear in his interviews is he appreciates everything. He pursues his dream. His attitude is so peaceful, but there is strength in him. It is not a violent strength like fire or something aggressive. It is like the ocean, very peaceful, very quiet when you look at it. But you can never underestimate the power that is in there.

―Yao Ming

I knew him before he was Linmania. He’s still the same humble guy. The guy has not changed a bit, which is really special for a young man.

―Keith Smart, Sacramento Kings

Have a Great Day: It’s Up to Me!

I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight.

I have responsibilities to fulfill today.

My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.

Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I can feel sad that I don’t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.

Today I can grumble(发牢骚) about all that my parents didn’t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate that thorns have roses.

Today I can mourn(忧伤) my lack of friends or I can excitedly start a quest(寻找) to discover new relationships.

Today I can whine(抱怨) because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.

I can complain because I have to go to school or eagerly open my mind and fill it with new knowledge.

Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped.

And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!

（Darcy 整理）

point guard 控球后卫

undrafted 未被选上的

debut n. 初次出场，处女秀

a bench warmer 暖凳子的人，意为候补球员

rebound n. 篮板球

assist n. 助攻

rags-to-riches 从贫穷到富裕，喻指境遇的极大改变

例如：He went from rags to riches in only three years. 他在短短的三年中从赤贫一跃而成巨富。

coincidence n. 巧合

sensation n. 轰动

grounded adj. 踏实的

humble adj. 谦虚的

controversy n. 争议

get ahead of oneself 言之过早，急进，指在时机成熟之前就贸然做某事或下结论

例如：Once I heard that, I started to get a bit excited but I was determined not to get ahead of myself. 一听到这个消息，我就变得有些激动，但我决定一步一步来。

underestimate v. 低估