TAIPEI--Visiting NBA star Jeremy Lin said Monday that basketball in Asia might have been a little underdeveloped in the past, but the situation is different now and the game is growing at a rapid pace.
“I think there's a huge potential here,” said the 24-year-old point guard, who is in Taipei for a nine-day stay, during which he will hold a basketball training camp for young children and attend an evangelical gathering.
Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Taiwanese descent, said at the opening of the camp that the reason he came back to Taiwan is to promote the game and to share his insights with local children.
Asked if he thinks he is one of the top point guards in the NBA, Lin said he has never really tried to compare himself with all the other NBA point guards.
“When I look at my development, I just look at myself to see where I can get better, and I know I can get better,” Lin said, adding that he would rather focus on his personal improvement than being a top point guard right now.
David Lee, a power forward and center for the Golden State Warriors, who was invited to co-host the camp, echoed Lin's remarks, saying that one must have the right attitude to be successful in basketball.
“Trying to learn and keep getting better and better is the attitude you have to have if you want continue to stay in the league for a long time,” Lee said.
Lin seized the moment and made the most of it when he had spectacular breakout performances with the New York Knicks in February, he added.
The NBA sensation is back in Taiwan after having spent nearly three weeks in China and Hong Kong for basketball promotional events and Christian gatherings.
Lin celebrated his 24th birthday in Hong Kong on Aug. 23. He also shared his basketball skills and NBA experiences with youngsters and his fans during his five-day stay in Hong Kong.
After the four-day camp, Lin will hold a private charity event Aug. 31 and attend a sponsor's event the next day.
Lin will join an evangelical gathering hosted by a local television station Sept. 2 before his departure for the United States the following day.
Event organizers said in a statement that these activities may be cancelled for safety concerns if the media tries to document Lin's trip in “dangerous ways,” such as driving fast in pursuit of Lin, filming out of sunroofs or getting out of cars to snap shots at red lights.
The NBA sensation paid a short visit to Taipei earlier this month, during which local media kept a close eye on every single move Lin and his family made.
Lin, whose meteoric rise early this year with the New York Knicks attracted widespread attention, signed a three-year, US$25.1 million contract with the Houston Rockets last month after the Knicks failed to match the offer.
Source: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/sports/basketball/2012/08/28/352416/Basketball-growing.htm
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