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7.23.2010

it's been a good week for jeremy lin


SF Gate has posted a Q & A with Jeremy Lin, the newest Golden State Warrior, with select quotes from his media availability after he signed on Wednesday. Note the great photo with his parents: Part 1: Q&A with Lin.
Do you face Ivy League stereotypes?

"I feel like (if you hear) 'an Asian from Harvard,' if you think about that, you're not going to think, 'Oh, a player in the NBA.' I understand that. That's just the way it is."

What was the recruiting situation when you were coming out of high school?

"The Pac-10 schools wanted me to walk-on. The Ivy League schools, Harvard and Brown, were the two ones that really wanted me to go there and play for them. I was deciding mainly between those two conferences. ... I didn't really want to walk-on. I wanted to go somewhere the team wanted me. Not somewhere I'd have to go and potentially not have a spot on the team."

You had to pay the full tuition at Harvard?

"They don't offer athletic scholarships in the Ivy League. There's only financial aid based on need."

What was your grade-point average at Harvard?

Smiling: "My GPA was not a 4.2. That's been the rumor. It's not even possible. My friends have been absolutely killing me about that. I had a 3.1 at Harvard."
Ha! You mean you weren't a basketball star and a super straight-A student? That's okay, I guess. He says he doesn't quite fully understand the impact he'll have as an Asian American NBA player -- not yet at least. But he's getting there. Read Part 2 of the Q & A here.

UPDATE: Here's another good ESPN interview with Jeremy Lin: Jeremy Lin makes good. Is it too early to order my #7 Jeremy Lin Warrior jersey?