Just last week it was the news heard around the world- Jeremy Lin is no longer a New York Knick. Many people don’t know the whole story, or simply just don’t seem to care why he left the mecca of professional basketball with one of the largest Asian-American populations in the world. There are plenty of articles out there detailing his departure from New York. Here is an accurate one.
The Knicks have repeatedly stated they let Lin go for financial reasons, but in this article here, it makes a compelling point that Knicks owner James Dolan felt betrayed that the Jeremy would go out and explore other options like he did. It befuddles me that a billionaire could feel blindsided by a young up-and-coming basketball player trying to seek the best deal to provide for him and his family. Let’s face it-it wasn’t about the money; Dolan could pay for anything (see Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Tyson Chandler’s contracts). It was all personal.
The team really never had Lin’s back during this process. Carmelo called Lin’s contract ridiculous and J.R. Smith stated he was skeptical. It’s clear the whole team felt like pointing the finger and blaming the Asian, blaming Jeremy.
Of course they would. Dolan’s not going to point the finger at himself. And if anyone has watched Jeremy play with Carmelo, the two never really meshed, so of course Carmelo would blame Lin for his so called egregious contract. And of course, Lin is an Asian Harvard grad. Nobody from the Knicks front office thought this humble, classy, good-willed Asian would speak up and actively pursue a better contract or sought a team that would pay him more. Well they were dead wrong. Nobody from the Knicks front office thought this Asian was so powerful.
How are you going to fault someone that wants to have the best opportunity for himself and provide for family?
– Thomas Tsang
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