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In a little more than a week, Jeremy Lin has become the biggest phenomenon in New York sports and the entire NBA.
The dazzling point guard has turned the basketball world upside-down, an Asian-American who plays skillfully, with great flair and crowd-pleasing charisma. Moreover, he is a graduate of Harvard University, who was largely ignored by all the major college basketball programs and signed to an NBA contract by a very reluctant Golden State Warriors (the first of two clubs who waived him before the New York Knicks picked him up).
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On a number of fronts, Lin has single-handedly broken down barriers and stereotypes and captivated millions of fans, including many who never previously cared about basketball at all.
As an Asian-American myself (though not Chinese nor Taiwanese like Lin), the 'Linsanity' saga has enraptured me and revitalized my interest in basketball.
However, perhaps owing to my cynical and skeptical nature, I suspect a backlash may soon be coming Jeremy Lin's way – from many sources.
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Of immediate concern is the imminent return of the Knicks star regulars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire. Anthony, a notorious ballhog who loathes passing to his teammates, typically clogs up the offense for whatever team he plays for. Melo is a great player and scorer, but can't really function in the context of a team.
In any case, Lin's role on the Knicks might be seriously compromised by Anthony.
Given that the Knicks have invested tens of millions of dollars in Anthony (who makes Lin look like a pauper), Anthony has to get his playing time. I highly doubt Melo will be able to mesh with Lin (as a big man, Amare probably won't intrude on Lin's playmaking time).
Thus, Knicks' coach Mike D'Antoni (whose job Lin likely saved) faces a daunting problem. If he reduces Lin's minutes or dares to sit him for long stretches, Knicks fans may riot. Lin isn't just another player – he's a cultural phenomenon.
More importantly, under Lin's leadership, the Knicks have won five straight games and now have an outside shot at gaining the eighth seed in the playoff hierarchy.
Also, there's a far more troubling dimension to the Lin story – and it's something the mass media has not explored too much. That has to do with race.
If Lin were black, his emergence would have been politely lauded, but would not have generated the kind of enormous excitement that Lin has produced.
If Lin were white (and made the same sudden impact), he would receive substantial media coverage as the latest 'great white hope' in a sport dominated by African-Americans.
But as an Asian-American, Lin opens up a whole different kind of Pandora's Box of potential possibilities and conflicts.
There have been very few Asians to have ever made it to the NBA – the most successful was Houston Rockets center Yao Ming, who had to retire due to chronic foot problems.
