Jeremy Lin's Future In Basketball Is....

Jeremy Lin has now announced that he is going to be playing pro basketball in Taiwan. So I know a lot of people out there have not kept up with his journey quite as closely as we have. So we're going to give you the update of everything and also explain to you what this all means. Yeah, there's some articles going viral right now. Let's just give you the quick update. After winning a championship with the Raptors, Jeremy went to go play for the Beijing Ducks. He has a very good season in the CBA. He decides the next year to come back to the G League to try to rework his way back into the NBA. It ultimately doesn't work out. Then he went to the Guangzhou Long Lions. But then now he's leaving that and going to play for the Kaohsiung Steelers, which is in the P Plus League. Taiwan has three pro leagues. Dwight Howard famously plays in the T1 League, which is a different league. All right, guys. Thank you for that breakdown. David, if you guys are excited about this video and want to hear seven points about Jeremy's career that you might have not thought about, then please hit that like button. Check out other episodes of the Hot Paw Boys. We are releasing videos every day. Yeah, by the way, he's about to be teamed up with his old Houston Rockets teammate, Terrence Jones, on the Kaohsiung Steelers. Oh, they might run the pick and roll. Guys, by the way, we've kept up with Jeremy for years. I mean, we watched him back at Harvard when he played Seattle U, when we were living in Seattle. Obviously, we do know Jeremy personally. And sometimes we get to catch up with him and talk with him over text. And we saw him in Toronto not too long ago. So here are some seven points that any fan is going to feel nostalgic about. Maybe if you're not that, you know, following that closely, these are going to be new things to you, or at least jog your memory. Andrew, point number one, everybody remembers the Gatorade tongue, blocking D-Rose off the backboard, waving off Kobe when he was a Laker, and then hitting the fadeaway three over CP3, the game winner in Toronto on Jose Calderon. But how many people remember when he dunked on Francisco Garcia when he was a Houston Rocket? On that fast break he did, and then he also dunked on, he crossed over John Wall and then dunked on the Wizards. Yeah, I mean, dude, Jeremy's had a few good dunks. And I'll tell you this, Jeremy was so fast that he could actually jump. I saw a dunk where he almost jumped from the dotted line, like a little bit before that with a one hand off one foot. It was crazy. It kind of reminded me of like young Brent Berry a little bit. Point number two, Andrew, I definitely, for myself, and I know a lot of big Jalen followers, or anybody who really just likes good organizations, in my opinion, lost a lot of respect for Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks after they pushed him out after he had Linsanity. Yeah, and here's the thing about Linsanity, guys. I know that Jeremy ended up tearing his meniscus before the playoffs, but Linsanity was essentially that spark plug to get them into the playoffs. Dude, it solved one of their TV distribution right disputes. I think it was worth like $300 million. Yeah, just from a team aspect, I think it fired everybody up and it really got them over the edge. And then they got into the playoffs that year. So I think that for what he did, I mean, I don't know. I'm not Carmelo Anthony, so I'm not the superstar of the team. I don't have all the power, but it seemed like he pretty much pushed Jeremy out and was like, yo, man, this guy's taking all the attention, man. Going into the playoffs, I don't want to like go through this guy, you know? Hey, man, I follow NBA a lot. I do not. I tried my hardest to not have biased opinions. It literally turned out that Carmelo was just an elevated Glenn Robinson. Oh, OK. It's OK to have a biased opinion about Jeremy Lin, but we're going to cut it true. We're keeping it as unbiased as possible. I'm just saying the garden was rocking like it hasn't been since the Ewing days. John Stark's point number three. I think the Hornets years were super underrated. Andrew, we actually went down to Charlotte to watch a playoff game. He had some big threes in the fourth quarter and he came off the bench, but he was able to do a lot. And he actually finished fourth in sixth man of the year voting. So but a lot of people forget that because obviously that year, not a lot of people were following the Charlotte Hornets. He played a great role. And I'm glad that we got to visit him, do a video with him. Check it out in the description down below. And then we also got to watch some of the playoff games. No, I just think that a lot of people like overlook those years because, you know, that was like basketball, basketball, because it was out of the limelight. Moving on to number four, Andrew. If you are a guard with long, narrow feet, Andrew, the X-TEP J-Lin 2 SE was actually probably one of the best shoes of 2022. Wow. So guys, X-TEP is a small up and coming Chinese sneaker brand. Well, it's actually big in the running world. OK, so you're right. You're right. Small in the basketball world and the Jeremy Lin shoes, the J-Lin ones was like one of their first basketball shoes. The J-Lin ones were not that good of a shoe, but the J-Lin 2's huge upgrade to the point that on unbiased sneaker review websites, they scored pretty high. Yeah, they got like a 90 out of 100 rating. And I heard they were based off of the crazy ultralight boost 2016 that he used to wear when he was in Charlotte. So back to Charlotte. Point number five, Andrew. Some people say that he didn't contribute a lot to that Raptors team that won the championship because, you know, he didn't have crazy splits and, you know, he didn't get a lot of PT. But that doesn't mean that he wasn't a positive impact in the locker room. He's in practice every day. He's encouraging everybody. And he's bringing more additional fans to the arena to pump up the team. Yeah, I mean, also before he went to the Raptors, he actually had a stint on the Atlanta Hawks with Trey Young. And Trey Young, he even spoke out and said, yo, Jeremy Lin was a great mentor, man. I learned a lot. He was a good player. He knows how to play the game. This is a really smart dude. So I'm like, if he was even able to help or at least mentor in some way, I'm not saying he's taking credit for Trey Young's career, but I'm saying if he was able to help Trey Young, then why wouldn't he add something to the Raptors team? There's a lot of stuff that happens not on the stat sheet. I know Jeremy maybe didn't shoot as well as he hoped on the Raptors, but I mean, he added still a lot. There's a lot to be said for a veteran locker room presence that can coach people through personal issues, off-court issues. Let me tell you this. There's a reason why everybody on the team and organization gets a ring when they win a championship, because everybody's involved. Moving on to point number six, Andrew, I actually really liked the dreads that he had on Brooklyn. And I remember his spat with Kenyon Martin, because Kenyon Martin was like, oh, why are you trying to look like this, look like that? And then he goes, hey, man, I'm just trying to appreciate your culture, just like you have Chinese tattoos on your arm, Kenyon. I think that was one of the best comebacks. I thought that was one of the coolest exchanges that Jeremy had had, because it was funny. It was a good clapback. It was nice, clean, family friendly. He got him. Yeah, I remember Jeremy was looking like somebody who was hanging out with MC Hot Dog, a Taiwanese beach rapper. I will say this, it's really unfortunate, the injuries, the huge structural injuries that happened to him in Brooklyn. We'll never know, because he had very good splits as a starter, even though it's only over 30 games. Andrew, point number seven, this is a more personal one. Jeremy Lin also went viral again, not just for the 38 at the Garden documentary, not just for going to play for the Gaussian Steelers, because he revealed to everybody he's actually secretly been married for two years. Yeah, so this is big, because Jeremy had kept his personal life, at least his dating life, super, super under wraps for a long time, to the point where people had always actually wondered and asked, like, yo, is Jeremy Lin dating anybody? All right, they thought he was celebrating, right, yeah. Well, because a lot of people were kind of curious, like, yo, who is this Asian NBA player dating? He's such a big star. He's the most famous Asian guy in the world at one point. Right. At one point he was, and so it was like, yo, is he dating the baddies? Is he like ABGs? And no, I mean, ultimately, yeah, he's obviously a devout Christian, so he's more conservative in that sense, but he had been dating, and now he's married. Yeah, I actually met his wife on the set of the Netflix show that me, him, and Ronnie did, and I can confirm, she's really pretty, she's really fashionable, bilingual, so very cool. And I think a lot of people always wonder, because the one aspect, maybe, that some of the bros always wish is, they wish he would have, like, went on the date with Kim Kardashian when there was the rumors during Linsanity and stuff like that, because, you know, there's always an Asian masculinity aspect to Jeremy's entire career. Oh, of course. But I can't say that, you know, personally knowing Jeremy, I don't think he was fully consumed with that. Like, he wasn't, like, trying to think about that. He's just like, man, I just gotta hoop. Yeah, I mean, during that time, he's literally just trying to hoop to stay in the league. So the last thing on his mind- He's like, yo, can I make Asian guys way cooler to get more dates? Yeah, that's not what he was thinking about, by the way. But yeah, anyways, guys, so those are like seven things that you might've not thought about or you might've forgotten about. Now, here are three major takeaways about Jeremy that we would like you guys to know. Because I think it's like, you know, they had the documentary, 38 at the Garden. Now you know he's married. Now he's playing in Taiwan. I don't know how many years he's gonna play in Taiwan. But I mean, you know, maybe it is or is not his last stop. But I guess, like, here's some things that you should know about Jeremy. Yeah, Jeremy always knew who he was and he very much stayed him. Throughout all the superstardom, millions of dollars, endorsements, being followed everywhere. Like, he literally is still, I feel like, a Taiwanese church guy from the Bay Area who plays Dota. No, and I feel like if I had to compare him to other players, like between Kevin Hurter and Tyler Hero, he's more actually like Kevin Hurter. You don't really know about Kevin Hurter. Kevin Hurter keeps it low-key. Tyler Hero is on stage with Jack Harlow trying to be in the mix. IG baddies, everything. I would say it's also comparable to, like, Logic versus Jack Harlow. Yeah, I mean, Jeremy didn't really try to buy in too much and change himself. Even though I think a lot of- The Gucci Shade lifestyle, right? I think a lot of people were living vicariously through him, so we were all hoping he was going to, like, build this entourage and be super cool and, like, I don't know, support Asian rappers. That's not on his mind, man. He's trying to hoop and play basketball and ultimately being good at basketball was going to make the most impact. Right. Point number two, Andrew, there are a lot of technical basketball dynamics as well as outside political dynamics that impacted Jeremy's career, probably in both good and bad ways. Yeah, and I think this is really referring to, especially that time, his most recent stint in the G League, where he averaged, like, 19 or 20 points a game. Good splits. He was doing good. He finished at one of the top in the G League, but he didn't get a contract. He got skipped over by all the other teams and I think a lot of people jumped to it being politics. First of all, I think there was some politics involved. I think that, you know, for whatever reason, maybe Jeremy brings in a certain amount of attention that maybe some teams do or don't want. He's kind of a high-profile role player at this point. But I think there's also that aspect where it's like a lot of teams, and you see this for all teams, that they really try to develop these young, long wingman players that are, like, 3 and D, that are, like, 6'6", 6'7". Wingspan, wingspan, wingspan. Yeah, that can shoot threes and lock down. And those are the type of players they love bringing in for the G League because they make, like, the perfect role player. You know what I mean? And I think maybe, I guess at the time, maybe some teams didn't see that need a point guard like Jeremy. You know what I mean? And obviously, if you guys don't know, maybe you're a casual fan, you don't really know basketball like that, Jeremy's biggest asset was probably his ultra-quick first step. At one point, scientifically, he had one of the five quickest first steps in the entire NBA. That allows him to beat his initial defender. Now the initial defender is trailing, help side has to come. That means one offensive player has drawn two defenders. The defense is starting to get scrambled. At that point, you can either pull up for a jump shot, draw a foul, get a layup, or see a passing window, skip pass across the court. I mean, Jeremy Lin really, at his fastest speed, was one of the fastest guys in the NBA. Yeah, I mean, like we said, the shooting, I think Jeremy is a decent shooter. He's not a sharp shooter. He's not a bad shooter. Yeah, I do think things like that, and obviously, you know, Jeremy had been training and trying to get better at everything, you know, for so long. And I guess, like, yeah, could he knock down the three more consistently? Maybe that would have helped him. But, you know, again, like, by the time he was in the G League, he was a little bit older than a lot of the other guys who are fighting for spots, so. Yeah, always was keeping up with Jeremy, always fighting for him. Three, two, one. Yeah, anyway, three, two, one. Overall, at the end of the day, you know, and there's various probably valid opinions on both sides, man, because you know how, like, some people are a Jeremy Lin fan in the sense they're just like, yay, Jeremy, be in the All-Star game still. And then there's the fans that are like, dude, he's so disappointed in me. I thought he was gonna be the one. And I thought he was gonna be a triple-double machine after that. All in all, man, Jeremy Lin had a hell of a career. And he broke so many stereotypes. A lot of people just think that, like, he was gonna be the team manager. And you know how, like, a lot of people view Asian men in a mainstream level. I'm not talking about little micro fishbowl enclaves. Most people in America view Asian guys, Andrew, to be more like a math lead than like a real professional American sport athlete. Right? And he broke all that. I mean, dude. While being smart enough to probably still be a math lead. Yeah. And you know, I mean, I think that the fact that he's still playing after all that he's been through, all those injuries, and he's still happy playing. I mean, I still think that shows a lot. I think that's really cool. Yeah. Like, we all wish he was still in the NBA or on a team somehow contributing, maybe even on the bench as a vet or something like that. I mean, yeah, I'm sure he would wish that too. But ultimately, like, the guy's still hooping. And yeah, I mean, I think Lin Sanity changed a lot of lives. It, at least at that time, inspired a lot of people. Now, maybe a lot of people had not been thinking about Jeremy for the past few years. Understandable to some extent. But honestly, the impact is still there. Honestly, watch 38 at the Garden. Hasan Minhaj and Ronnie did a hell of a job narrating. Shout out to Jenny Yang too. Like, basically, they just kind of spell it out for you. Like, why Lin Sanity was so impactful. Yeah. If you need to be reminded why Lin Sanity was impactful, watch that movie, HBO, 38 at the Garden. Anyway, let us know in the comment section below what type of Jeremy Lin fan are you guys. If you've been following everything, watching even the CBA highlights, or are you guys more casual and you're like, yeah, yeah, what happened since Lin Sanity? I mean, I'm sure there's so many people that fall like so many different plots on the spectrum. Let us know what you think in the comment section below. And until next time, we're the Hot Pop Boys. We out. Peace.