Rising Son
One year ago this month, Palo Alto--born Jeremy Lin, the 6'3" son of two 5'6" Taiwanese immigrants, was living in a Harvard dorm room, a poster of former Warriors center Chris Webber pinned to his wall. Now Lin, with an economics degree in his pocket, is the most unlikely—and intriguing—name on Golden State's roster. In the past five months the former All-Ivy point guard (SI, Feb. 1) has outshone NBA No. 1 overall pick John Wall in a Summer League game (a performance that was effusively announced by Webber, now a broadcaster for NBATV); saw his jersey fly off shelves in the Bay Area, with its robust Asian population; and on Monday became the first Asian-American to make a league roster since 1947, when Wat Misaka suited up for the Knicks. For good measure, he's also the first Harvard grad to play in the NBA in 57 years.
Lin, who didn't receive a scholarship offer out of Palo Alto High, went undrafted in June but was inked to the Mavericks' Summer League team as a free agent, instantly becoming a crowd favorite. In July he signed with the Warriors, and after a preseason in which he drew raves for his fearless attacks on the basket, Lin won a roster spot backing up Stephen Curry. "I'm excited to finally experience my first NBA season," he says. "It's been a long summer of preparation." Once again, he'll get a chance to prove his worth.
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BEN MARGOT/AP (UPDATE)
PACIFIC RIM Lin heads back to Cali, where he won a state high school title in '06.