Taipei, July 28 (CNA) Jeremy Lin, the first player of Taiwanese descent to sign a regular season contract with a National Basketball Association (NBA) team, attributed his achievements to his passion for the game, support from his family and Christianity during a press conference in Taipei Wednesday.
The 21-year-old told about 100 reporters and more than 30 television cameras that he was thankful for the overwhelming support and attention he has received in Taiwan, where his parents lived before emigrating to the U.S. in the 1970s and where he still has many relatives.
Lin, who signed a partially guaranteed two-year contract with the Golden State Warriors worth approximately US$500,000 last week, arrived in Taiwan early Wednesday with his family to participate in a charity game hosted by Chinese star player Yao Ming.
He will also attend a children's basketball camp Thursday -- part of the Junior NBA program sponsored by Amway -- before flying back to California to prepare for the upcoming season.
Lin burst onto the scene this past year as he was named Ivy League Player of the Year, averaging 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.1 blocks. He was passed over in the NBA Draft in June, but his strong performance in the summer league caught the attention of several teams.
The Warriors signed him on July 21, making him the first Harvard graduate in 57 years to formally sign with an NBA team.
He said he chose the Warriors because of many factors, including the size of the contract, the style of play, roster space and location -- the Lins live in the Bay area.
Being an Asian-American player out of Harvard was never an advantage, he said, because of stereotypes that Asians are weaker than other players and that Ivy League graduates are better at academics than basketball.
About the possibility of representing Taiwan in international competition, Lin said he knew that many rumors "are flying around, " but "no decision has been made."
Meanwhile, religion has been a major part of life for Lin, who has said he would like to be a pastor someday and help underprivileged children in urban areas -- the reason he chose to major in economics and sociology at Harvard.
Lin, who idolized Michael Jordan growing up, said the transition from the college game to the NBA will require work on "almost everything, " from ball-handling to strength to a different shot- clock.
His goal for the upcoming season will initially be getting "in the rotation, " and then becoming the starting point guard. Longer term, he said he wants to win an NBA championship. (By Chris Wang) enditem/bc