Jeremy Lin on the Verge of Joining the Dallas Mavericks

By John | Monday, July 19, 2010 | 11 Comments

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Back in June, Harvard graduate and basketball player and Palo Alto, California native Jeremy Lin didn’t make the NBA during the draft. But he did get invited to play for the Dallas Mavericks during the NBA’s summer league. Well, Lin is starting to turn heads. In his 4th summer league game last week where the Dallas Mavericks took on the Washington Wizards, Lin went toe-to-toe with the #1 NBA draft pick this year, John Wall, and more than held his own. I’ve been seeing this video online posted everywhere – you can really hear the crowd supporting him after some pretty awesome attacks to the basket as well as the commentary lauding Lin’s performance. ESPN Dallas is reporting that due to Lin’s performance, he might be signed soon:

Lin is on the verge of signing an NBA contract, and it could be with the Mavericks, who view him as an intriguing developmental point guard and a strong candidate to run the club’s new D-League affiliate that begins play this fall in Frisco. “We’re in discussions as we speak,” Mavs president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said Friday afternoon. “We are extremely interested in him as a young player.” Suddenly, the player deemed too flawed in most major areas to survive in the NBA is in contract discussions with three teams, according to league sources. The Los Angeles Lakers are believed to be one, with an Eastern Conference team the other.

(Note: Frisco is NOT San Francisco but Frisco, Texas located30 miles outside of Dallas.) ESPN radio has a terrific interview with Lin the day after his performance while another blogger has a great video interview with him right after the game. With his performance, you can imagine that Lin is getting a lot more press, like this NBA.com piece where I learned that the basketball player was no dumb jock at Harvard:

The most important accolades he left Harvard with were a 4.2 GPA and a degree in Economics. In his what seems like his non-existent spare time, Lin also was editor of the school newspaper and interned for a California senator.

On a 4.0 grade point scale, a 4.3 is an A+, which means Lin must have gotten a lot of straight A’s. That’s pretty crazy when you think about it, even if you take into account grade inflation. Maybe Lin will start a new stereotype: the Model Minority Athlete ?!? We’re already “blessed” with an Asian American Jersey Shore.

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johnklin

Harvard guard Lin piques L.A.’s interest
Updated: July 19, 2010, 3:34 PM ET
“A new name has emerged as a candidate to fill a spot on the Los Angeles Lakers’ bench as a backup to starting guards Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant. Jeremy Lin, an undrafted 6-3, 200-pound combo guard from Harvard, is being considered by the Lakers after the team opened contract discussions with Roger Montgomery, Lin’s agent, over the weekend.”
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=5392883

Guard Jeremy Lin, unfortunately for Mavs, now a commodity
Posted at 3:26 PM on Mon., Jul. 19, 2010
“But he played so well, averaging 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals in five games, that Dallas now is fending off the Lakers and other teams in an effort to sign Lin to a contract.”
http://mavsblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2010/07/guard-jeremy-lin-unfortunately-for-mavs.html
justinslot

Awww…I saw “Frisco” and thought “oh yeah, that would be an ideal place for him.” I was envisioning sold-out crowds for D-League games. But no, wrong Frisco.
ewlin

I’m actually not sure how he can have a 4.2 at Harvard. A+ are not given, and the highest possible GPA is a 4.0, a feat rarely achieved.
http://profiles.yahoo.com/u/YKLVAKQ7ATGD4WRKRTE7YZQRRY Jack

He’s probably going to the lakers.
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=5392883

“We’re just trying to sort out the best roster fit, the best situation for Jeremy, but we’re highly considering the Lakers,” Montgomery said in a phone interview Monday.
johnklin

At Cornell, an A+ = 4.3. So 4.2 is achievable. Though the Harvard website doesn’t show an A+ here:

http://webdocs.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/ugrad_handbook/current/chapter2/GPA.html

Maybe he got a 3.2 instead of a 4.2. Still respectable.

At MIT, the Grade Point Average scale is a 5.0.
http://www.facebook.com/people/Ahmed-Sanchez-De-La-Cruz-Kim/58700922 Ahmed Sanchez De La Cruz Kim

Yes, go for it. An Asian athlete that’s good is always great news.

As for the K-town Jersey shore…no comment.
http://twitter.com/Luv4theGame Philip

The 4.2 GPA posted on NBA.com is actually his High school GPA.
johnminh

I live near Frisco, TX, so I’ll definitely be going to these games if the Mavs sign him. Woohoo!
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=8226809 Cliff Kao

4.2 is his high school gpa, not college. They made a mistake.
http://twitter.com/Luv4theGame Philip

He’s close to signing with the Warriors! My blog entry after it becomes official =)

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=5396732
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