A TIME magazine feature on Jeremy Lin

Remember his w-i-l-l-i-n-g Palo Alto High to the state championship?

Harvard's Hoops Star Is Asian. Why's That a Problem?
Sean Gregory
TIME
December 31, 2009

Certain truths are tied to March Madness, that time of year when the NCAA men's basketball tournament turns every cubicle-dweller into a college hoops junkie. That batty lady who picks the winners based on the cuteness of the mascots will crush you in your office pool. Duke will have a guy that gets under your skin. And the Harvard basketball players will be locked in the library instead pulling off the Cinderella upset.

It's been 64 years since the Crimson appeared in the NCAA tournament. But thanks to senior guard Jeremy Lin, that streak could end this year. Lin, who tops Harvard in points (18.1 per game), rebounds (5.3), assists (4.5) and steals (2.7), has led the team to a 9-3 record, its best start in a quarter century. Lin, a 6 '3" slasher whose speed, leaping ability, and passing skills would allow him to suit up for any team in the country, has saved his best performances for the toughest opponents: over his last four games against teams from the Big East and Atlantic Coast Conference, two of the country's most powerful basketball leagues, Lin is averaging 24.3 points and shooting nearly 65% from the field. "He's as good an all-around guard as I've seen," says Tony Shaver, the head coach of William & Mary, which in November lost a triple overtime game to Harvard, 87-85, after Lin hit a running three-pointer at the buzzer. "He's a special player who seems to have a special passion for the game. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the NBA one day."

A Harvard hoopster with pro-level talent? Yes, that's one reason Lin is a novelty. But let's face it: Lin's ethnicity might be a bigger surprise. Less than 0.5% of men's Division 1 basketball players are Asian-American. Sure, the occasional giant from China, like Yao Ming, has played in the NBA. But in the U.S., basketball stars are African-Americans first, Caucasians second, and Asians. . . somewhere far down the line.

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