Athlete Jeremy Lin…A MODEL OF SUCCESS

Prior to February 4, Jeremy Lin was unknown to sports fans around the world. Three weeks later he is a household name and a tremendous asset to the New York Knicks for which he plays basketball. The undrafted Harvard graduate rose to prominence with a fantastic game against the New Jersey Nets.

Since that game, Lin has led the New York Knicks to unbelievable records. He has also become the eighth ranked player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in Player Efficiency Rating, which attempts to determine a player’s value to his team. Lin lifted the Knicks back into the playoff hunt and has also put them back on television.

Since January 1, New Yorkers were unable to view the Knicks play basketball. A heated dispute over fees between the owners of the team and a cable company kept the Knicks in the dark. Then Jeremy Lin came on the scene. New Yorkers demanded a resolution. NBA Commissioner David Stern joined the chorus. Even New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called executives in the dispute to bring about some resolution. According to the Associated Press, “Lin’s phenomenal run forced the deal.”

Stocks for the Madison Square Garden Company, the firm which owns the Knicks, increased more than 11% since Lin scored 25 points in that February 4 game. Marketing giant Nike has had tremendous success selling Linsanity (Jeremy Lin) T-shirts. Within 72 hours, an ebook on Linsanity was on sale. According to the Wall Street Journal, Adidas, one of Nike’s biggest competitors, is planning to produce Lin-themed jerseys for a network of more than 6,000 stores in China.

Lin jerseys have been the top-selling jerseys at NBAStore.com since that early February game. Jerseys have been shipped to at least 23 countries, including China. Lin is the first US-born player in the NBA of Taiwanese and Chinese heritage. The growing interest in Lin among Asian-Americans and millions around the world has resulted in a 550% increase in traffic to the Knicks website between February 5 and February 12.

LIN CLAIMS TO BE A CHRISTIAN

My real interest in the Jeremy Lin story is simple – he claims to be a born-again believer. One reporter got it right when he said, “In addition to his success on the court, Lin has become famous for being both an Asian-American and a devout Christian.” As a Christian, Lin has often credited his success in the NBA to God. While a student at Harvard University, Lin actually led a Bible study among his fellow students and frequently gave interviews to campus Christian publications.

Some have noticed the bright orange bracelet Lin wears during his games. The words “In Jesus’ Name I Play” are printed clearly on each bracelet. According to Active Faith, the Texas company which makes the band, “thousands of orders from all over the world have come in overnight – our web server crashed a couple of times, it just couldn’t handle the amount of traffic.”

The importance of Jeremy Lin’s faith has attracted much press. One CNN headline reads: “Jeremy Lin Emerges as Emblem of Burgeoning Asian-American Christianity.” In this article, Lin, in response to this sudden popularity, said “It’s a tough environment and if you don’t have appropriate boundaries, you’ll compromise your faith.”

LIN APPEALS FOR HELP

When Lin reached out to his pastor for counsel, he was advised to spend at least an hour a day with God. According to his pastor, Stephen Chen of the Church in Christ at Mountain View, California, Lin now memorizes a few Bible verses consistently. Recently, Lin memorized Romans 5:3-4 (“We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope”).

Lin, who has said he may become a pastor someday, credits his rise as a professional athlete to understanding the way God was working in his life and developing a trust in God’s plan. Recently he told the San Jose Mercury News, “I’ve surrendered that to God. I’m not in a battle with what everybody else thinks anymore.”

Jeremy Lin is one of the more recent basketball players to make his commitment to Jesus very clear. Among other basketball heroes are David Robinson (San Antonio Spurs), A.C. Green and Kevin Johnson (Phoenix Suns). In each case, it was the athlete’s excellence on the field that provided opportunities for ministry.

Lin, an admirer of Tim Tebow (who we featured a few weeks ago), admitted to a reporter that faith and fame often fight – “but it’s one I’m going to keep fighting.”

Like Jeremy Lin, it is only when we set “appropriate boundaries” in our pursuit of excellence; we avoid the temptations to compromise our faith.