Jeremy Lin will explore his options over the summer, after a strong first season in Charlotte where he played well at both the point guard and the shooting guard spots. Occasionally unleashing a big scoring outing (usually against top-tier teams), Lin contributed critical penetration and a well-rounded game that filled up the stat sheet all year. Notably, Lin did all this for a winner — a big change after his nightmare in LA. Even more notably Lin seems to have erased a perception — however unfounded — that he was a weak defender and prone to turnovers.
One result of Lin’s achievement is that there’s an element missing in all the talk of where he’ll end up next — Lin’s race. So far rumors say Lin may go to Chicago or Brooklyn. Some see him joining Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. The Bucks, Pacers and Pistons all get mentioned as potential Lin landing spots. Yet this time around few are mentioning the Asian population in those cities, and how team ownership could benefit from signing Lin by capturing more Asian fans. Instead the speculation is based on Jeremy Lin as a basketball player — and what his skill set can add to the chemistry of the teams that might sign him. In previous years, as Lin moved from New York to Houston to Los Angeles, articles rarely failed to mention the gains ownership might see in jersey sales or ticket sales among the “untapped Asian market” in those cities. Now, finally, it’s all about basketball for Lin.
