The Jeremy Lin story brings up some age-old issues

By Howard Bryant  ESPN.com

The simple and decent way to view Jeremy Lin and his sudden success is with a generous combination of hope and admiration, for he represents the victories all of us seek. At some point, we have all felt underestimated, all wondered if a supervisor, coach or editor would ever provide us an opportunity, and we knew we could succeed if only given that chance. Lin was underestimated, cut by two teams and nearly again by the Knicks before finally being given a real chance. Improbably, and on the biggest stage in the world in New York City, he is realizing what he always believed he could achieve on a basketball court.

He is an exceptional American story, intelligent enough to graduate from Harvard and benefit from the global doors its Ivy League prestige opens (our last four presidents have graduated from Harvard or Yale) and athletically gifted enough to play in the NBA. He is the dream of the immigrant: American-born of parents who emigrated from Taiwan with grandparents in China. He is a national and international symbol of what is possible in the United States, evidence of what generations of sweat and sacrifice and dreaming can produce.

Lin has been brilliant at what he can control. He has played inspiring basketball for the Knicks and has been forthright and gracious in interviews and undistracted by what is being said about him. What he cannot control is the uncomfortable soil his success has unearthed: ignorant thoughts, historical grievances, swelling ethnic pride, bitter racial resentments and the double standard that mix produces. All of which are a part of the ongoing conversation about race and fairness in this country, all of which are bigger than Jeremy Lin.

Over the past two weeks, one national columnist resurrected stereotypes about Asian male sexuality in a Twitter post, and was forced to apologize. The boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. reminded us of an old black grievance — the national frenzy that seems to ensue when a non-black athlete succeeds at a black game, whether it’s Mickey Mantle running fast or Larry Bird being the best player in a league that was 80 percent African-American. And ESPN suspended one employee and terminated another for using racially insensitive terminology on the air and in a mobile website headline.

Thoughts on the NBA Trade Deadline…

Wow, this was a busy week for many teams in the NBA.  I think some teams got better for the short-term, while others were looking at the long-term.  I can’t say that all the deals were good but the majority make sense.

I’m so happy the Melodrama is over!!!  I was so sick of hearing about Melo every single day since the season started and was really tired of him holding the Denver franchise hostage.  

Ray Allen Ultimate Highlight

Lifetime of Obsession…Preparation is key to Ray Allen’s 3s

By Jackie MacMullan ESPNBoston.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/columns/story?columnist=macmullan_jackie&id=6106450

Great story by one of my favorite columnists. Also, check out her book “When The Game Was Ours.”

It’s not that Ray Allen won’t leave anything to chance; it’s more that he simply can’t.

Allen did not hope he would break Reggie Miller’s all-time 3-point shot record; he meticulously and laboriously prepared for it years in advance of the actual event, which should occur when Allen — who is two 3-pointers shy of passing Miller’s 2,560 — and the Boston Celtics play the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday in TD Garden with Miller in attendance as a TNT commentator.

Ray Allen Surpasses Reggie Miller’s Record of 2,560 Treys

Allen surpasses Miller as all-time 3-point leader

The Garden crowd was cheering for it, erupting with excitement every time Ray Allen lined up behind the arc.

It didn’t take long for the Celtics’ shooting guard to connect for that milestone shot, matching Reggie Miller’s record of 2,560 three pointers during the first quarter.

His first attempt rattled in and out of the hoop, drawing a huge groan from the crowd, but on his second attempt –nothing but net.

Kevin Garnett the new villain of The Association???

The Dictionary defines villain as “a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot”.

Cruelly malicious person???  Devoted to wickedness???  Scoundrel…maybe….in the sense that he does try to deliberately get in your face, talk trash, and get inside your head.

Kevin Garnett throughout his career has been known for being very intense, emotional, passionate, and having a very foul mouth but before this season no one really called him out for it; most actually lauded him for his behavior.

As of late KG has really come under attack.

Will The Real SuperStar Please Stand up?

Who Will Stand as the Real SuperStar?!?!?!

Wow!!! Was anyone else underwhelmed with the new look Miami Heat tonight in Boston?  I know they really haven’t had much time to play together because Wade has been hampered with the hamstring injury for most of the preseason but the new “Big 3”  combined for 15 of the Heat’s 17 turnovers — eight by James, six by Wade and one by Bosh. Wade was limited to 13 points on 4-of-16 shooting and Bosh added eight points and eight rebounds. The trio And Miami was outscored 16-9 in the first quarter. Really guys, you could only muster up 9 points in 15 minutes of action?  

2011 NBA Champs???