"I felt like I lost my humanity in the middle of it" - Jeremy Lin on his experience during his 'Linsanity' run, says the experience was scary
It has been a decade since Jeremy Lin took over the NBA and introduced the phenomenon known as "Linsanity." Lin emerged as an unexpected star for the New York Knicks during the 2011-12 season. However, he had a hard time facing the fame that came with it.
Lin gave an exclusive interview to Sky Sports to discuss his experience during "Linsanity." The one-time NBA champ did not like the "side effects" of his fame, especially when the paparazzi followed him and his parents. He was also scared about being called a hero or an icon.
"I think for me as a person, it's been an evolution from trying to run away from it," Lin said. "Because I felt like I didn't like a lot of the side effects of 'Linsanity. Some family issues that it caused, all the privacy that was taken away from me overnight, and the paparazzi chasing down me and my family and my friends."
"There were also just the expectations of the world, almost turning me into some type of superhero. I became this phenomenon and I felt like I lost my humanity in the middle of it."
"Linsanity" lasted just three weeks after Lin suffered a season-ending knee injury. However, the impact that it had on the NBA and the Asian-American community will likely remain forever. Lin also produced a very respectable career in the league, which resulted in a championship in 2019.
After shying away from the responsibility of being a symbol, Lin has embraced his role in society. He learned that it was more than just being a basketball player, but helping people, especially minorities, against racism and injustice.
"Culturally, I realised, this moment is much more than basketball," Lin said. "It's much more than that season. It is much more than just the New York Knicks and Jeremy Lin. This is a story that will be told for years and years and years. And that has shattered so many stereotypes and so many boxes that society has tried to put on minorities."
Jeremy Lin's career retrospective
Jeremy Lin went undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft, but was signed by the Golden State Warriors. After a season in the Bay Area, he joined the New York Knicks. He became a national sensation in New York, but it lasted just one season.
The Knicks inexplicably let him sign with the Houston Rockets, wherein he played there for two seasons. He was traded to the LA Lakers in 2014 before becoming a journeyman. He went on to play for the Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors.
Lin won a championship with the Raptors in 2019. However, he has not appeared in an NBA game since then. He spent a season in China before returning to the United States to play for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League. In nine seasons in the NBA, he averaged 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals.