Just My Type
JEREMY LIN
NEXT STOP: KOBETOWN
The Lakers acquired the fourth-year point guard from Houston on July 13. Lin averaged 12.5 points last season and hit 35.8% of his threes, but he ranked 75th in assist-to-turnover ratio.
DAN PATRICK:Where are you right now?
JEREMY LIN: In L.A.
DP:Where in L.A.?
JL: I'm in a car. I actually don't know where I am. The Lakers are sending me [somewhere].
DP:You were born in Torrance, Calif. Did you grow up a Lakers fan?
JL: I was born in L.A., but then I moved to Northern California. When I grew up, I was a Warriors fan.
DP:Did you have animosity toward the Lakers?
JL: The Lakers caused their fair share of heartache among Bay Area fans.
DP:How did you get to this point, where you're about to join your fourth team?
JL: I have no idea. Everything happens so suddenly and sporadically. One minute I'm here. The next minute I'm there. I'm just trying to keep up.
DP:Do you know how good you are?
JL: Naturally, after two years of underperforming, there are times I'm not sure what's going on. Will I ever be able to rebound and respond? I think every athlete goes through that. You can't always account for the system or the way the coaches use you. I do believe in myself. I believe that I'm a much better player now than I was three years ago in New York.
DP:How crazy did it get during the height of Linsanity?
JL: It was the craziest time in my life. Just insane. There was so much that happened. Sometimes people ask me, Do you remember this happening, do you remember that happening? I'm like, Oh wow, I can't believe I didn't remember that.
DP:Was it good for you?
JL: Every single part of my journey has been good. It has allowed me to put my footprint on my own career and establish myself as an NBA player. A lot of other good things happened, breaking down stereotypes—not just Asian stereotypes, but also the Harvard stereotype, the undrafted stereotype. It presented a unique set of challenges, to be a player who had to live under the shadow of instant success. It really challenged me and made me a much stronger person.
DP:Was there any jealousy from Carmelo Anthony in New York?
JL: I really don't know. I've never had any problem with him. He never treated me badly. I've always had a relationship with him. Every time we've played we've said hello.
DP:Did Kobe text you and say, "Get ready to pass me the ball."
JL: [Laughs.] He just said we have a lot of work to do.
Guest Shots
Say What?
Rams coach Jeff Fisher told me the presence of defensive end Michael Sam, the NFL's first openly gay player, hasn't been as disruptive as many anticipated. "There's really no difference," Fisher said. "There may be an extra camera out there, but that's not something life-changing."... John Smoltz said no one should be fooled by Greg Maddux's eloquent Hall of Fame speech—his former Braves teammate hated to talk in public. "He didn't give much effort [doing] interviews," Smoltz said. "He played the dumb card. More than likely I did more interviews about Greg than Greg did."... Former Vikings punter Chris Kluwe on the way the NFL treats players who break the law: "People seem very willing to give a pass to people who have committed crimes simply because those guys can run faster than someone else. I don't think that's the sign of a healthy society."
PHOTO
MICHAEL J. LEBRECHT II FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (PATRICK)
PHOTO
ANDREW D. BERNSTEIN/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES (LIN)
PHOTO
JEFF CURRY/USA TODAY SPORTS (FISHER)
PHOTO
KEVIN C. COX/GETTY IMAGES (SMOLTZ)
PHOTO
JEFF CHIU/AP (KLUWE)