Home >Unlabelled > Jeremy Lin looks to join list of greatest Asian-American athletes - Yahoo! Sports
Jeremy Lin looks to join list of greatest Asian-American athletes - Yahoo! Sports
Posted on Wednesday, February 22, 2012 by NBA Playoff Schedule 2012
You know you've arrived when A) you lead an apparently moribund NBA franchise on a winning streak and upstage the Super Bowl champion, B) you put up numbers that prompt comparisons with legends of the game and C) your heritage is notable enough that a lame reference to it gets an ESPN headline writer fired. And we forgot this one: D) All of the above, which applies to the New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin.
Unless the rock you've been sleeping under stops the sound of arena cheers from penetrating, you know that Lin is the greatest national sporting sensation since Tim Tebow. But in at least one way, Lin stands out even more: He's Asian-American, with a now well-told story about his Chinese heritage and Taiwanese immigrant parents, though Lin was born and raised in California.
Sound familiar? Actually, it does, in the case of Michael Chang, who won the 1989 French Open at the age of 17 and remains the youngest man to claim a Grand Slam tennis title. Like Lin, Chang's family fled mainland China for Taiwan after the Communist takeover and eventually moved to the U.S. Chang also grew up in California in a devout Christian family. Humility is a trait shared by the tennis champion and the rising NBA star. And on the playing surface, both athletes are known for their quickness and determination.
A number of elite American athletes have Asian roots. Tiger Woods is part Chinese and part Thai. Nine-time U.S. figure skating champion Michelle Kwan is the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Short-track speed skating standout Apolo Anton Ohno is the son of a Japanese father. And going way back, Korean-American Sammy Lee won two Olympic diving gold medals for the U.S. in 1948 and '52.
Ron Darling won a World Series with the New York Mets in 1986.
(AP)
There have been more Asian-American athletes than you may realize. Rex Walters, who preceded Lin in the NBA, was half-Japanese. So were former USC football stars Johnnie and Chad Morton. Roman Gabriel, one of the NFL's prototype modern quarterbacks, is the son of a Filipino laborer. Hines Ward, Tedy Bruschi and Will Demps … the list goes on.
And like all Americans, despite their common Asian ancestry each has a unique story. Yamaguchi is a fourth-generation Japanese-American whose grandparents were interned in camps during World War II. Former Cowboys linebacker Dat Nguyen was conceived in South Vietnam but born in a refugee camp in Arkansas. Ward was born in South Korea to an American serviceman father and a Korean mother who struggled to learn to speak English.
Athletes cherish their heritage. And despite clumsy attempts at humor, such as the one that got the poor ESPN employee canned, this bromide coined by legendary sportswriter Jimmy Cannon about Joe Louis applies to them all: "He's a credit to his race … the human race." With that in mind, we invite you to read our list of top 10 Asian-American athletes.
The list:
• B.J. Penn, MMA
• Ron Darling, MLB
• Dat Nguyen, NFL
• Kristi Yamaguchi, figure skating
• Roman Gabriel, NFL
• Apolo Anton Ohno, speedskating
• Hines Ward, NFL
• Michelle Kwan, figure skating
• Michael Chang, tennis
• Tiger Woods, golf
22 Feb, 2012
-
Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHojn7EXzqBVWjPMa-VEAyFKhBKEg&url=http://sports.yahoo.com/top/news?slug=ys-rcs-jeremy_lin_best_asian_american_athletes_022112
--
Manage subscription | Powered by rssforward.com
Blog Archive
-
▼
2012
(2069)
-
▼
February
(971)
- Power Rankings, Vol. IV
- Previewing WSU opponents: Loyola
- It's Halftime
- R.I.P. Dunk-Contest...ein Nachruf
- NBA All-Star Weekend Review
- Miami Heat: LeBron James no substance just talent!
- Video: All-Star Weekend
- Gerüchteküche (All-Star Edition)
- Stern pleased despite condensed NBA schedule - Was...
- NBA All-Star Game: Live updates from Amway Center ...
- NBA All-Star Game 2012: Kevin Love Representing Ti...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game: LeBron James The Odds-On F...
- NBA All-Star Chat: Will Kobe Bryant get his 5th Al...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game: East Roster Features LeBro...
- Sacramento, Maloofs meeting on Kings - USA TODAY
- Dwight Howard saga dominates NBA's second half - N...
- NBA All-Star Weekend 2012: All-Star Game, Three-Po...
- VIDEO: Kevin Love beats out Kevin Durant to win 3-...
- Daytona 500, Oscars, NBA All-Star Game may bump up...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game: Knicks' Carmelo Anthony St...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game Time, TV Schedule And More ...
- NBA commish talks about Seattle, Sacramento - KING...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Flo Rida Performs A 'Good Fe...
- NBA Analysis: Miami Heat Midseason Review - Opposi...
- Magic Johnson's 1992 NBA All-Star appearance a def...
- NBA Standings 2012: Can The Mavericks Climb The St...
- David Stern: Adam Silver worthy successor as NBA c...
- Great expectations in NBA's second half - ESPN
- Previewing WSU opponents: Youngstown
- The 2012 NBA All-Star game, the L.A. story - Exami...
- Fake NBA All-Star gear leads to arrests in Orlando...
- NBA All-Star Saturday: No. 1 in Orlando ratings - ...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Slam dunk contest and three-...
- NBA All-Star Game 2012: TV Info, Time, Anthem/Half...
- NBA All Star Basketball - KENS 5 TV
- NBA All-Star Game 2012: 5 All-Stars You Don't Want...
- David Stern says Adam Silver is ready - ESPN
- West All-Stars-East All-Stars Preview - ESPN
- NBA All-Star Game Rare Shootout Involving Iguodala...
- Is Dwyane Wade the Best Player in the NBA? - NESN.com
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game Time, TV Schedule And More ...
- NBA Slam Dunk Contest | 02.26.12 - News & Observer
- 2012 NBA All-Star Game Time, TV Schedule And More ...
- NBA commissioner David Stern has no sympathy for D...
- NBA's focus back on Howard - Bryan College Station...
- NBA Power Rankings 2012: Bulls And 76ers Boast Bes...
- Kyrie Irving talks about return of 'NBA Live 13' -...
- NBA Capsules: Utah's Evans wins Slam Dunk Contest ...
- NBA All-Star Game Live Blog: LeBron James, Kobe Br...
- NBA All-Star Game rosters - Columbus Dispatch
- NBA teams already looking beyond this year - San F...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Saturday Night - San Antonio Exp...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Skills Challenge: Celtics' Rajon...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Slams, skills and shootout -...
- Heat, Thunder prepared to take NBA All-Star Game b...
- NBA All-Stars Shine In Skills Contests - KERO-TV 23
- NBA All-Star Game back in SLC? Not anytime soon, J...
- Stern: Silver worthy successor as NBA commissioner...
- Stern: Silver worthy successor as NBA commissioner...
- NBA Slam Dunk Contest 2012: All-Star Game Warmup B...
- NBA's David Stern: No deal yet on new arena for Sa...
- Kevin Durant, the NBA's unassuming superstar, reme...
- Celebrities at NBA All-Star Weekend - SI.com
- Tennis player Michael Chang has given advice to NB...
- For one night, Lakers and Clippers will work toget...
- All Star Weekend LeBron James still Don't Understand-
- Handing out NBA midseason awards: LeBron James loo...
- Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash, at NBA all-star game, do...
- Jerry Zgoda's Sunday Insider: There was one Magica...
- Lakers' Darvin Ham unenthusiastic about 2012 NBA d...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Three Point Shootout, Slam D...
- NBA Trade Rumors: Suns Are Foolish Not to Trade St...
- Johnson: 'Linsanity' might bring change to NBA nar...
- NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers interested in trading for...
- NBA Four Quarters | All-Star edition - Kansas City...
- No one seems to notice, but the Spurs are a threat...
- NBA Slam Dunk Contest: Competition Has Long Histor...
- Previewing WSU players: Vaughn Duggins
- Women's Basketball
- Men's Basketball
- NBA All-Star Game a social media bonanza worldwide...
- Monroe 'steals' show at NBA Rising Stars (with vid...
- 2012 NBA Skills Challenge: Four PGs Compete In ......
- 2012 NBA Three-Point Contest: James Jones Seeks Re...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Three-Point Contest Includes...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Jeremy Lin Not Main Event Bu...
- Jeremy Lin humbled, humorous during All-Star weeke...
- NBA Rising Stars Game 2012: Kyrie Irving Showed Us...
- NBA All-Star Saturday Night 2012 Time, TV Schedule...
- NBA Debate: Why David Stern Should Shorten Season ...
- Not an All-Star, but Lin stars in Orlando - Atlant...
- NBA All-Stars showcase skills leading up to big ga...
- NBA All-Stars and more pitch in for charity - Orla...
- 2012 NBA Dunk Contest: Jeremy Evans Could Surprise...
- 2012 NBA All-Star Saturday: Schedule, TV Info And ...
- Syracuse vs UConn: Future NBA Studs to Watch in Bi...
- NBA All-Star Weekend: Rising Stars and the Celebri...
- Vic's Picks: NBA, Dwight Howard, Missouri-Kansas -...
- NBA Rumors: Suns Shouldn't Wait for Steve Nash's B...
- NBA: Lights, camera & stars - Daily News & Analysis
-
▼
February
(971)