Harry is a basketball junkie. More specifically, Harry is addicted to the NBA, maybe more than any student I've ever taught. A young man in my sixth period Gospels' class, Harry can tell you EVERYTHING related to the National Basketball Association. Today, Harry was excited about a relatively unknown basketball player who has been in the news this past week. Jeremy Lin has been in the lineup for the New York Knicks for the most recent three games and the struggling Knicks have won all three of the contests. It's a fascinating story. Lin, who is one of only a couple of Harvard players to ever make it to the NBA, has been living in his brother's apartment and sleeping on his couch. In this three game stretch, the undrafted Lin (Harvard class of 2010) has averaged about twenty-five points each night and a good number of assists. But the story is much more than statistics. You see, Jeremy Lin is the first American born NBA player to be descended from Chinese/Taiwanese stock. (His parents emigrated from Taiwan while Lin also has kin in China.) He has become an overnight media sensation. I read a blurb tonight on a sports' website that the Knicks games are going to be broadcast in Asia where the appetite for Lin coverage would be enormous. The Knicks have some players who are returning to the team after injuries and family issues so it will be interesting to see where the story is headed but it's been at least a great three day ride! In a season almost lost to a labor dispute, heart warming themes are, well, heart warming.
And that's where Harry comes in. You see, Harry is not just a basketball fanatic, he's also Chinese. Today, he asked if I could pray that Jeremy Lin would be successful in the NBA, a request I was honored to honor. Harry picked a good guy to cheer for. On Wikipedia, I read that Jeremy Lin is a devout Christian who wants to go into the ministry when his basketball career is finished. What a platform for the Lord he is building; hoop skills, an avalanche of followers, and a relationship with Jesus Christ. And, lest we forget, he has one big time fan in my sixth period Gospels class! It might not be exactly scriptural but GO KNICKS!
Applicable quote of the day:
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