3 ms·

I highly doubt any team passed over him because of his ethnicity. That's insanely counter-productive and something that doesn't happen in modern sports, especia

by ssharp 15y ago

I highly doubt any team passed over him because of his ethnicity. That's insanely counter-productive and something that doesn't happen in modern sports, especially the NBA. Yao Ming was a #1 draft pick. The NBA knows it's strong position in China.

MrMatters 15y ago
Is Yao Ming the best comparison though? He's 7'6", something that sets him apart more than ethnicity would. I wouldn't be surprised if Lin's did play a part, maybe not overtly, just because Asians in the NBA are fairly underrepresented.
jberryman 15y ago
I don't know. That one Chinese player was highly sought after in the last decade in the NBA does not convince me that unconscious racial bias hasn't played a role here, not that I think malice has either. It seems obvious that Lin's Chinese descent is at least still a novelty in the NBA
- ssharp 15y ago
  I still have a very hard time chalking it up to racial bias, whether conscious or unconscious. If the NBA is lacking in Chinese players, I'd amount it to: 1. Chinese players' talents aren't good enough, or they simply don't fit into the NBA style of play 2. NBA teams are not good at transcribing their play to the NBA level Lin is an American, however, and has been playing US-style basketball his whole life. Lin's had a streak of statistically good games, and a much larger sample of below average play off the bench. I haven't watched his games and I don't know how good he is on defense, or how he looks in operating an offense. But even if he turns out to be a really great NBA player, it's not like he was the first professional athlete to be overlooked/underrated. John Starks, former Knick, who played a big role in the Knicks' success in the 90's was undrafted, as was Ben Wallace, a premier defender for the championship Pistons in the 2000's. The NFL also has a lot of once underrated talent. The Super Bowl losing Patriots have future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, who has been an elite quarterback for about a decade now was the 199th player picked in his draft class. And one of his prime targets the past few years has been undrafted Wes Welker. Kurt Warner was undrafted, sign as a free agent, cut during the preseason and had to play several years in the Arena League before becoming a Super Bowl MVP and superstar quarterback.
  - Volpe 15y ago
    What's the difference between "US-style" basketball and "other" style? (i.e "chinese-style"?) Doesn't everyone play the same game/style?
    - gmichnikov 15y ago
      No. See http://members.shaw.ca/jazzace/ace/hoop/rulediff.html http://members.shaw.ca/jazzace/ace/hoop/rulediff.html for a variety of rule differences. See http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/differences-between-nba-europe-10180.html http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/differences-between-nba-eur... for some more thoughts.
      - Volpe 15y ago
        Specifically "chinese-style"... Chinese are mad about NBA, do they really play different rules?
        ssharp 15y ago
        Maybe U.S.-style wasn't the correct term, but since the NBA is regarded as the top basketball league in the country, it's what most people look up to. The NBA tends to run a very isolation-oriented offense. This means that a point guard usually brings the ball to half-court, and if the PG is the main iso guy, he keeps the ball, or he dumps the ball to the main iso guy. The rest of the offense then spreads out so that iso guy is 1-on-1 with the defender. He'll usually play 1-on-1 (taking a shot or driving to the basket if he can) until there is 10 or so seconds left, and then the offense will start really moving. Being from Cleveland, we saw this in the extreme when Lebron James played for the Cavs. We nicknamed this the "Lebronfense", because the entire offense (especially in the playoffs) consisted of Lebron holding the ball for 15 seconds and then making a move. This generally doesn't happen as much in other countries and leagues as it does in the NBA. Generally, guards and SF's who score a lot in the NBA are iso-specialists. I'm not well versed enough in basketball strategy, so I'm not sure why this happens. It likely has to do with maximizing a superstar's athletic ability and overall impact on the game, but that's just a guess.

by ssharp 15y ago

MrMatters 15y ago

Is Yao Ming the best comparison though? He's 7'6", something that sets him apart more than ethnicity would. I wouldn't be surprised if Lin's did play a part, maybe not overtly, just because Asians in the NBA are fairly underrepresented.

jberryman 15y ago

I don't know. That one Chinese player was highly sought after in the last decade in the NBA does not convince me that unconscious racial bias hasn't played a role here, not that I think malice has either. It seems obvious that Lin's Chinese descent is at least still a novelty in the NBA

ssharp 15y ago
I still have a very hard time chalking it up to racial bias, whether conscious or unconscious. If the NBA is lacking in Chinese players, I'd amount it to: 1. Chinese players' talents aren't good enough, or they simply don't fit into the NBA style of play 2. NBA teams are not good at transcribing their play to the NBA level Lin is an American, however, and has been playing US-style basketball his whole life. Lin's had a streak of statistically good games, and a much larger sample of below average play off the bench. I haven't watched his games and I don't know how good he is on defense, or how he looks in operating an offense. But even if he turns out to be a really great NBA player, it's not like he was the first professional athlete to be overlooked/underrated. John Starks, former Knick, who played a big role in the Knicks' success in the 90's was undrafted, as was Ben Wallace, a premier defender for the championship Pistons in the 2000's. The NFL also has a lot of once underrated talent. The Super Bowl losing Patriots have future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, who has been an elite quarterback for about a decade now was the 199th player picked in his draft class. And one of his prime targets the past few years has been undrafted Wes Welker. Kurt Warner was undrafted, sign as a free agent, cut during the preseason and had to play several years in the Arena League before becoming a Super Bowl MVP and superstar quarterback.
- Volpe 15y ago
  What's the difference between "US-style" basketball and "other" style? (i.e "chinese-style"?) Doesn't everyone play the same game/style?
  - gmichnikov 15y ago
    No. See http://members.shaw.ca/jazzace/ace/hoop/rulediff.html http://members.shaw.ca/jazzace/ace/hoop/rulediff.html for a variety of rule differences. See http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/differences-between-nba-europe-10180.html http://www.raptorsforum.com/f/f6/differences-between-nba-eur... for some more thoughts.
    - Volpe 15y ago
      Specifically "chinese-style"... Chinese are mad about NBA, do they really play different rules?
      - ssharp 15y ago
        Maybe U.S.-style wasn't the correct term, but since the NBA is regarded as the top basketball league in the country, it's what most people look up to. The NBA tends to run a very isolation-oriented offense. This means that a point guard usually brings the ball to half-court, and if the PG is the main iso guy, he keeps the ball, or he dumps the ball to the main iso guy. The rest of the offense then spreads out so that iso guy is 1-on-1 with the defender. He'll usually play 1-on-1 (taking a shot or driving to the basket if he can) until there is 10 or so seconds left, and then the offense will start really moving. Being from Cleveland, we saw this in the extreme when Lebron James played for the Cavs. We nicknamed this the "Lebronfense", because the entire offense (especially in the playoffs) consisted of Lebron holding the ball for 15 seconds and then making a move. This generally doesn't happen as much in other countries and leagues as it does in the NBA. Generally, guards and SF's who score a lot in the NBA are iso-specialists. I'm not well versed enough in basketball strategy, so I'm not sure why this happens. It likely has to do with maximizing a superstar's athletic ability and overall impact on the game, but that's just a guess.