Linsanity Page #2

I would hang

from monkey bars.

Um, I would lie off the edge

of my bed thinking

That gravity would pull me

and make me taller.

When I was 5'3"

as a freshman in high school,

I remember...

my mom remembers this, too...

I would get in the car

every single day,

And they'd be like,

"why aren't you taller?"

Like, "this is

why I'm so short. "

She always said,

"blame your dad.

I'm not that short. "

She's 5'6".

For an asian woman,

that's pretty tall.

And my dad's also 5'6".

I think my biggest

influence on him as a player,

The most constant dominant

conversation we had

Was him creating

for others.

In high school,

he knew he could get by

And do well

on his talent.

A lot of kids,

and him especially,

It was

all about scoring.

And my constant

conversation,

My constant challenge

with him was,

"Jeremy,

you're a creator.

"you could

really be the man

If you just embraced who

you are as a player. "

During his junior year,

Jeremy emerged

as the Vikings star.

With every game,

his skills and confidence grew,

But so did his ego.

Jeremy:
We were like

30 and 1 at one point.

We were

killing everybody.

I was starting to get

a big head,

Thinking I was sweet

and everything,

And then I get hurt.

Jeremy had a tradition

of shooting around

The night before

his high school games.

But on the eve

of the state semifinal game,

The high school gym

was closed,

And Jeremy played in a pick-up

game at his local YMCA.

That night,

Jeremy fractured his ankle,

And his faith

would be tested.

I just pretty much

broke down.

Um, I broke down crying.

Up until then, like, I'd never

gone through any serious tragedy.

That was the worst thing

that ever happened to me.

With Jeremy on the bench,

The Vikings hopes for a state

championship quickly faded.

You know, from

a high schooler's perspective,

That's like everything.

I told him

to take a step back

And to look at it

from a bigger perspective.

I remember my brother

sent me this really long letter.

He talks about how god

gives and takes away.

And so god took what I really

cared about at that time

To show me that I can't do

what I want to do,

I can't accomplish what I want

to accomplish without him,

And that nothing

in this world, in my life,

Will happen that's

not according to his plan.

Pastor Stephen Chen:

When David faced goliath,

He didn't know the outcome,

But he was zealous

for the living god.

With Jeremy, I know he puts

the order, god first,

Family second,

basketball third.

And he'll tell you

this now at least.

Looking back, it's more of,

god is in all those things.

And in high school,

he was humbled.

He learned that he couldn't

do everything himself.

Man:
Amen.

And he could only put

his faith in god.

Jeremy:

I told myself,

I have one year left

of guaranteed basketball.

I said I'm gonna do

everything I can,

And I'm gonna

go out fighting,

And I'm gonna make sure

that we get back here.

Mitch Stephens:
He had unusual

poise for a high school senior,

Unusual confidence.

There was something about him

that I could see

Why he was a great leader

on the court,

'cause you're

just driven to him.

You can feel

his heartbeat.

Every close game

they had,

Jeremy Lin

was making a big play.

And it was

every different way...

A 3-pointer, a steal

at the end of the game.

But every one,

he was in the middle of.

He was

the guy doing it.

Announcer:
Lin takes

a jump shot right side.

Hits!

Oh, a nice jump shot.

Lin for 3. Buries it!

Nothing was going

to stop Jeremy

From getting his team back

to the state championship,

And, soon enough,

Palo alto faced goliath.

Announcer:
Inside Arco arena,

it's Mater Dei and Palo Alto.

It's the cif division ii

state championship

Just moments away

from tip-off.

[ mouthing words ]

Stephens:
I think a lot

of people just assumed

That getting to

the state championship game,

Palo alto would be

satisfied with.

Jeremy Lin would be

satisfied with it.

And it was just much more

of a formality

When they played

mater Dei high school.

Southern California schools

dominate the rankings.

They're the powers

that be.

Palo alto, out in the

suburbs, not so much.

Announcer:
Everybody said

mater Dei was the team,

Mater Dei is the big dog.

Mater Dei,

number 11 in the country.

Diepenbrock:
The whole

week leading up to the game,

It was just like, "how

we gonna get a rebound?

How we gonna

be able to play?"

Jeremy:
I remember walking

around campus,

And there are

all these reporters.

And they'd be like, "oh,

you think you can win?"

Like, "how you

gonna beat 'em?"

And everyone's asking me,

my friends were asking me.

By the end, they're like,

"you think you can beat 'em?"

I was like, "man, just come

to the game and watch. "

Along with Mater Dei's

Decorated history

and dominant reputation,

This varsity team

had 8 players over 6'6".

Gary McKnight:
I was kind of relieved

that we were playing Palo alto,

But the more I watched them

on tape, I just had a feeling.

You know what?

These guys are better

than I thought.

You know, you don't get to the

state finals by not being good.

Announcer:
Here's lin.

Needs something good,

and he finally got it.

Diepenbrock:
We were

not intimidated at all

And really came out

playing our game.

Announcer:
Here's lin. Oh,

there's that quick first step

That they talked about.

Palo alto on a 9-2 run,

and that's over.

That kid can throw

the triple.

Everybody on paper

would say the size,

The athleticism, the quickness

is with the monarchs,

But it's the heart

that is with the Vikings,

And their heart has been

on display so far tonight.

McKnight:

At the end of the game,

He hit the big shots

at the big moments.

Announcer:
Here's lin.

Without that 7-footer,

he can go to the rack!

McKnight:
When the game was on

the line, yeah, he took over.

Announcer:
Four seconds

on the shot clock,

And Lin is gonna

have to launch a 25-footer.

Oh, it went in!

Did he call that?

I think he called that.

[ horn sounds ]

It happened.

No one gave them

a prayer to be on the floor

With the athletes

and the thoroughbreds

That the monarchs have.

Jeremy:
It's the best

feeling to go out on top.

I mean, it is

a dream come true.

Announcer:
It's why we love

high school basketball

Because of faces like that.

Diepenbrock:
When I

really looked at everything,

Everything

a basketball player

Could do for himself

individually

And for a team,

Jeremy Lin was

the best player here,

But yet colleges

weren't clamoring for him.

He just didn't fit the mold.

Jeremy:

After my senior year,

I was just dying to play

in college,

And I felt

like I deserved it.

I remember it was

just a very long process,

Very frustrating,

because I was going

From Pac 10 school

to Pac 10 school.

I couldn't even get

Some division iii schools

to look at me.

And I was dying

to go to Stanford.

Um, I would go there

and play with them all the time.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes