10 years on, Jeremy Lin’s NBA debut shows it was ‘Linsanity’ from the off
- Jeremy Lin’s arrival at the Golden State Warriors as an undrafted rookie sparked national media interest – and a packed press conference
- Harvard graduate was immediately the poster boy for the Bay Area’s Asian-American community but that brought pressure
“It was Asian Heritage Night at Oracle Arena and the crowd of 17,408 rose in a standing ovation when reserve Jeremy Lin checked into the game with 2:32 remaining in the fourth quarter,” ESPN wrote in their report on the Golden State Warriors taking on the Los Angeles Clippers on October 29, 2010.
“Lin, who grew up in the Bay Area, didn’t score but hustled for a loose ball that brought the crowd to its feet again.”
NBA.com told a similar story: “Undrafted rookie and Bay Area local Jeremy Lin, already a fan favourite at Oracle Arena, drew a huge ovation just for checking in with 2:32 remaining. He was credited with a steal after tying up Cook and watching the Warriors win the ensuing jump ball.”
That was Lin’s NBA debut, a game which the Warriors won 109-91, and one where his cult status was already cemented despite being an undrafted rookie.
“Halfway through the fourth quarter, the crowd began chanting, ‘We want Lin!’” ESPN recalled of his first game in a 2011 article. “He entered the game with just under three minutes to go, and the arena sounded like a home crowd cheering their All-Star during a play-off game.”
It had been the same in preseason when he was cheered just for warming up.