By Jeremy Lin is Confused By Those Who Wonder if He and Carmelo Can Coexist
February 16, 2012 – 10:30 am by Eric Schmoldt
When Jeremy Lin showed up at Madison Square Garden, he didn’t know what he was doing with the New York Knicks. Iman Shumpert had just gone down with an injury, so Lin didn’t know if he was just brought in to fill a gap while Shumpert was out. Lin even says there were times when he thought he was going to be waived by a third different NBA team.
Now Lin is enjoying the wildest ride of his life as he’s become an instant sensation and the subject of Linsanity. He’s now averaging more than 24 points and 9.5 assists in six starts. And for those curious if he and Carmelo Anthony will be able to coexist, Lin says Anthony was the player who originally told coach Mike D’Antoni to give him a shot, so Lin is actually looking forward to getting the star back in the lineup.
Jeremy Lin joined WFAN in New York with Boomer and Craig to discuss what this run has been like, if it exceeds any dream he’d ever had, if he realizes the magnitude of Linsanity, road fans embracing him, his place as a role model to Asian-Americans, if he always believed he could play this well, the possibilities early on that the Knicks could waive him, Carmelo Anthony telling Mike D’Antoni to put him in the game, getting all the pieces back in this offensive system and the comparisons that have been made between him and Tim Tebow.
How incredible has this run been?:
“I’m having a lot of fun. It is, it’s unbelievable. I really don’t have words right now to explain it, but it’s been a lot of fun.”
Does this exceed even what your wildest dreams ever could have been?:
“Absolutely. Even to play in the Garden every night and the energy that the crowd brings, to live it and be a part of it and for it to become real is definitely beyond my wildest dreams.”
Are you aware of just how big Linsanity has become?:
“I guess most of it, but yeah, at the same time we’re trying to stay focused, too.”
Have you been surprised by how much even road fans have embraced you?:
“Absolutely. That was crazy. It was loud in there [in Toronto] so we definitely got to feed off their energy, too. They were rooting for us. It seemed split down the middle. Half the crowd would go crazy when we scored and the other half of the crowd would go crazy when they scored.”
What has it meant for you to become a figure for the Asian-American community?:
“I think last year helped a lot with dealing with that, just trying to remember not to put pressure on myself, but to take it seriously and to consider it an honor to be a role model to the Asian community. But at the same time make sure I play unto the Lord and kind of remove that pressure from me.”
Have you always felt that you’ve been good enough to play the way that you’ve played during this run?:
“There’s been times, definitely times of doubt when there would be a rough game or a rough stretch or even just getting waived. But at the same time, I kept telling myself and even the people around me had to encourage me at times — my family and friends — and I was always thinking to myself that I knew I could play at this level, but I didn’t think it would happen like this, this fast.”
Were there moments when you thought the Knicks were going to release you?:
“Definitely. It happened twice already earlier with Golden State and Houston. When I got here, I know Iman went down with an injury and the Knicks picked me up. I wasn’t sure if I was just insurance until Iman got back or what their plans were for me. At the end of the day, it’s pretty much risk-free to pick up a non-guaranteed contract. … I’m glad it turned out the way it did.”
Is it true that when you first started this run it was Carmelo Anthony that told Mike D’Antoni to put you in the game?:
“You know, that’s true. I’ve been hearing reports, can Jeremy coexist with Melo and everything like that. I’m just confused because he was the one who vouched for me in the first place. So, we want to play together and want to work together and are buying into that. Some people call Melo selfish and he doesn’t buy into the team. That’s just tough for anyone to hear, especially when we don’t think it’s true.”
Are you excited to soon have all the pieces finally back in place in running this offense?:
“Yeah, I mean, it’s going to be a lot of fun, I think, when we can get this thing, this offense, flowing and it becomes natural and we don’t have to think or make adjustments. That’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Do you see yourself taking less shots and dishing more assists in that situation?:
“Yeah, I mean, I think that’s the job of a point guard. I don’t want to come out here and shoot 20 shots a game, but if that’s what the defense gives me, then I those nights that’s what I’m going to have to do.”
On the comparisons to Tebow:
“No, I’ve heard the comparison. I respect him a lot. I’m a fan of his. What I really love about him is actually what he does off the field, the type of things he does for kids. … I think that’s the most important thing because that’s actually making a difference in somebody’s life versus just winning football games. I’m going to speak with him soon. We haven’t had a chance to catch up or meet. … I think our stories are very different. I see people see similarities because we talk about our faith or whatnot, but I think our stories are still very different.”
Listen to Jeremy Lin on WFAN in New York here
Tags: Carmelo Anthony, Jeremy Lin, Linsanity, Mike D’Antoni, NBA, New York Knicks, Tim Tebow
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