"People hiding in the bushes, girls dropping off panties at my parents' house and waiting for me there" - Jeremy Lin reveals his craziest experience from 'Linsanity' era
Jeremy Lin was the most popular basketball player in the world in 2012. "Linsanity's" journey remains one of the most unbelievable stories in NBA history. The one-time NBA champ recently revealed his craziest fan experience.
In an interview with Marlow Stern of The Daily Beast, Lin discussed his upcoming documentary on HBO. Stern also asked Lin what was the craziest thing that ever happened to him at the height of "Linsanity." To this, Lin said:
"There are so many funny stories, and some that are really creepy. Everything that you can think of happened and everything that you can't think of happened. On the lighter end, 'Come on down here, sign a couple of autographs, take a couple of photos, and we'll give you a BMW.'
"And then there's the creepy stuff of people waiting outside my house or my parents' house. People hiding in the bushes, girls dropping off panties at my parents' house and waiting for me there, stalking me. Really weird stuff."
"Linsanity" was such an iconic moment for the NBA and Asian Americans. Jeremy Lin went from being a fringe player for the New York Knicks to a superstar for a brief period in 2012.
After more than a decade of one of the greatest NBA stories, HBO will revisit "Linsanity" in a documentary. "38 At The Garden" focuses on Lin's success story in the NBA, but also talks about the struggles he faced as an Asian American.
With the increase of hate crimes on Asian Americans amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the documentary will show how Lin broke the stereotype. "38 At The Garden" will premiere on HBO and HBO Max on Oct. 11, 9 p.m. ET.
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Jeremy Lin begged teams to sign him to an NBA contract
Jeremy Lin last played in the NBA in 2019 when he won his first championship with the Toronto Raptors. Since winning the title, Lin has played in the Chinese Basketball Association and the G League. He signed with the Beijing Ducks in the 2019 offseason and averaged 23.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals.
Lin tried to get back in the league in 2021 and played for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League. He was phenomenal for them and averaged 19.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists, while shooting 50.5% from the field, including 42.6% from 3-point range. However, no NBA team wanted him.
In an interview with Insider, the 34-year-old guard revealed that he "begged" NBA teams for an opportunity. He believes that his race might have played a part on why no NBA team signed him. Lin said:
"I went to the G league and was top 10 in everything. In shooting efficiency, top 10 in scoring and assists, and that still wasn't enough. When I add all of that up, I would say race has a role to play in that. I just don't know how big, but, my gut is that race definitely has a role to play."