After all the speculation that Jeremy Lin would go to an immediate contender, rounding out a lineup that could compete for a title, Lin chose the Charlotte Hornets instead. The soon-to-be 27-year-old guard Lin will bounce back in Charlotte after a disappointing campaign in Los Angeles. Most basketball insiders thought Lin would choose a big market team — he’s spent his career at four of them in the Bay Area, New York, Houston and Los Angeles. And his international fan base — and massive popularity among Asians in the US — seemed to make a big market a more attractive option for Lin.
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But Lin chose Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets instead. And it wasn’t for the money. Lin obviously thinks Charlotte is the best situation for him to excel as a player — his true goal in the NBA. If he remains strictly a point guard, Lin will back up a potential future Hall of Famer in Kemba Walker. But Lin has shown prowess as a shooting guard as well, and could log some minutes at the 2 spot also. Lin, a Harvard grad, may also have recognized the potential value of being on Michael Jordan’s team. Jordan hasn’t proven as excellent at NBA ownership as he was as a player, but he only became Hornets owner in 2010. It took Jordan seven years as an NBA player before he won his first championship. Lin, like Jordan, is patient and determined.
