Lin's infamous 3 pointer over the Raptors

Linsanity continues! Toronto was able to witness Jeremy Lin’s talents on Tuesday night at the Air Canada Centre. He definitely attracted the Chinese community of Toronto, which made the ACC a full house that night.

I sat at home watching the game while a friend of mine was watching it live and texting me, “I’ve never seen so many Asian people at a Raptors game before!” Apparently there were more fans rooting for the Knicks (or Jeremy Lin should I say), rather than the Raptors (poor, poor Raptors). Personally, as a semi-Raptors fan and supporter of anything from Toronto, I was rooting for the Raptors… but then I was even more interested to watch because of the Jeremy Lin hype. I mean… what was he going to do now?

…Then there it was. Last quarter, 15 seconds left, tied game, and the ball is in Jeremy Lin’s hands. Literally at the edge of my seat, I witnessed him score a 3 pointer which just amazed me. I could only imagine how the Raptors felt after having a lead for almost the entire game. It was such a mix of emotions. On one hand, I was thinking, “Great, another lost” and on the other, I was just amazed at the risk that Jeremy Lin took. I mean, after that move there would be an even BIGGER craze in Toronto for him.

According to the Globe and Mail, news of his winning shot was featured on Toronto’s Ming Pao and Sing Tao websites. It was stated that the Canadian Chinese Youth Athletics Association sent 300 members to the game and as well, they were planning on buying tickets for the next game in Toronto. Interesting bit at the end of the article however…

This was too much for Tarek Fatah, the Pakistani-born Canadian activist who has written about multiculturalism. “What is it with Toronto’s Chinese community? They’re cheering the Knicks win against hometown Raptors ‘cos their star LIN is a Taiwanese?” Mr. Fatah said on Twitter. “I’m sorry, but when Canadians come waving Taiwan flags in Toronto, it pisses me off.”

As “Canadian” as one may be, I think that at the end of the day… if someone from the same culture as him/her does anything positive and/or impactful (such as so), he/she would feel a sense of pride. I really don’t think it should be a problem for others to be proud of where they came from.

Reference: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/torontos-chinese-community-already-scrambling-for-tickets-to-next-lin-game/article2339252/

A rising star and inspiration: Jeremy Lin

If someone asked you to name a Chinese basketball player a few years back, you would have probably said Yao Ming. Fast forward a couple years and now you’ll be saying Jeremy Lin. Gaining attention all over; he has already been a trending topic of Twitter with fans using the hash-tag, “#Linsanity”.

Now who is Jeremy Lin you may ask? He’s an American-born, Harvard graduate, and most importantly… comes from a Chinese/Taiwanese background. If you’re wondering why I said “most importantly”, it’s because his Chinese descent is the “surprise” factor in this success story. Lin basically broke stereotypes just by doing what he loves. I hate to say it but many people stereotype Asians into the volleyball and badminton sports, but Lin is really proving something to the world. To me, he seems to be this shining underdog. With his 38 point winning game over the Lakers recently, he really is opening up eyes all around the world and becoming such an inspiration.

"The Asian American community in the United States possesses certain values which are: Religion, Education, and being a solid citizen, not only does Jeremy possess all of those but he appears to come from the "Asian Dream" — Harvard educated, a rare combination of brains and brawn. He's a wonderful role model for Asian Americans, especially among the young." - Vicki Wong, President & CEO of DAE Advertising

As much as Lin is this great success story, in reality we do live in a capitalistic world. With his talents, intelligence, and role model potential… he does seem to be a perfect candidate for endorsements though. For multicultural marketers of the Chinese community, he would really be the ideal “celebrity” influencer. What more could you ask for?

Lin is really building a sense of excitement and pride for the Chinese community, or even the Asian community as a whole. Its actually amazing how one person can have such a powerful impact on the world. Jeremy Lin is definitely the “next big thing”.

Read more about Jeremy Lin and his endorsement future here: http://abcnews.go.com/Business/jeremy-lin-york-knicks-player-marketing-dream-machine/story?id=15557844