As a Chinese American educated at Harvard (MBA), who broke into Hollywood in 1985, I can relate to Jeremy Lin’s emergence in the NBA. But it doesn’t take being Chinese nor attending Harvard to be “Lin-spired”. As a result of his break-through play, the latest being a Kobe-esque, 38 point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers, Jeremy Lin has now gotten what every Asian American has ever really wanted – the chance to succeed or fail based on performance and not on preconceived notions or racial stereotypes.

We’ve all heard the scouting report on Jeremy which explained why he went un-drafted and bounced around the league.  He can’t shoot, not strong enough, isn’t athletic, lacks speed and doesn’t play defense. Deep down inside, many of us were decoding that secret language that resonated with our own experiences which justified keeping him on the end of the bench. It translated into the very troubling and all so obvious … “he’s Asian”.  Even the positives about Jeremy alluded to the stereotype.  He’s smart and hard working. These were enough to temporarily secure him a roster spot on the Knicks, albeit fourth on the depth chart at point guard, but not enough to land him meaningful playing time.

(AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Then the dominos started falling.  The combinations of injuries, poor performance, mounting losses, and an upcoming decision of whether to guarantee Lin’s contract for the rest of the season forced the hand of Knicks’ management.  And the rest is worthy of the record books.  He is the first player in 30 years to have at least 28 pouts and eight assists in his first NBA start. Not since 1977 has anyone scored more points in their first three starts than Jeremy Lin. He is tied with Lebron James for the most consecutive games (4) this season with at least 20 points, 5 assists and at least 50% field goal average.

This is not a case of “I told you so.”  Anyone who tells you they knew Jeremy Lin would deliver superstar performance at this level is lying. But thank God he did. As any member of the “model minority” can tell you, Asian Americans feel we have to work harder to achieve the same level as our non-Asian counterparts. SAT scores for college admissions is the perfect example.

I’m also grateful that Lin plays the point guard position, the floor leader on any basketball team. To witness the other Knicks rally around him is inspirational.  With the dearth of Asian American CEOs and board members in corporate America, we all hope that Lin’s leadership role is a tiny step forward in breaking down that barrier and stereotype.

Some of my Facebook friends don’t agree with me.  A few are sick of anything that smacks of racism and feel it’s a knee-jerk reaction whenever a minority doesn’t get what they want. Others think that sports is the greatest equalizer on earth.  Teams don’t care about color or race.  Many prospects go overlooked everyday.  It’s just the nature of the sport.  Teams only care about winning and making money.

Sure, now that Jeremy Lin has proven himself, race is no longer an issue.  In fact, it has become a marketable feature. The NBA can now tap into the lucrative China market, whose interest had been waning following the retirement of Yao Ming. But I contend that race was a subtle factor in why it took so long for Lin to get the chance.  I think African American quarterbacks might be able to relate to the Jeremy Lin experience. For many years, despite the high percentage of blacks playing in the NFL, they have been grossly under-represented at that position. They weren’t judged merely on their abilities, performance and statistics. The intangibles factored in and created barriers and doubt for players like Randall Cunningham, Kordell Stewart, and even Michael Vick.

By all means, I don’t want to compare myself to Jeremy Lin.  But the parallels are there for me and many others in my community.  I am grateful that I had a number of people (Dawn Steel, Ned Tanen, David Madden, David Kirkpatrick) who believed in me enough to give me the chance. What I did with the chance was up to me.

In my early days in Hollywood, as a matter of survival, I adopted this very same mindset – that racism was not part of the equation.  I didn’t care to be a victim. I was too busy championing my own cause within the corporate jungle to take on the cause of an entire community. To me, it was all about the bottom line.  It took many years for me to acknowledge what should be as obvious as my Asian features.  But race does matter and is an issue, whether overt or subtle.  It is so deeply ingrained in society and plays out even between various groups within the Asian American community. It is something that resonates with us all. The first step to overcoming racism is to accept the fact that it exists. “Lin-sanity” has done just that as sports radio is blowing up discussing this very topic.

So I share in the joy of Knick fans around the world, despite being a lifelong Boston Celtic fan and Laker hater.  I bleed crimson red as Jeremy Lin helps validate Harvard’s sporting prowess.  I thank the Lord with those of the Christian faith that he has blessed us with the likes of Jeremy Lin. I celebrate with every underdog who has overcome long odds and low expectation. But most of all, I cry tears of joy with my Asian American brothers and sisters for the emergence of Jeremy Lin.  He has delivered on what each and everyone of us hopes for – regardless of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation – the same CHANCE to rise or fall based upon our own merits.