Houston Rockets: Happy Birthday Jeremy Lin

Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Today Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin turns 25. He is currently overseas visiting with the throngs of fans in Taiwan, and Indonesia that have supported him from the moment “Linsanity” appeared. In a candid speech delivered to a youth conference in Taiwan, Jeremy Lin opened up about his struggles during the 2012-13 season with the Rockets, admitting that he couldn’t eat or sleep at times and that he once cried before a game because he was worried that he would lose his starting job.

After a season with the Rockets averaging 13.4 points, and 6.1 dimes, the next step is to forget “Linsanity” and just be Lin. Houston and New York City are vastly different cities, and one thing New York can do that Houston can’t, is create extreme hype about anything. Of course Lin’s play during the “Linsanity” was fun to watch but was added heavily by the fact he was playing for the New York Knicks. New York media was smitten with a player that had an amazing story, and was unlike any other player they had seen before. The Rockets signed Jeremy not because of “Linsanity” but because the Rockets needed a big point guard that was exceptional at passing. No “Linsanity” needed, just the ability to run plays, make good decisions and surprise defenders with quick strikes to the goal.

With the start of training camp right around the corner, the key for Lin is simply reducing turnovers. Lin was ranked the 35th best point guard in the NBA by ESPN  and that was largely due to the 13.5 turnover ratio.

This is something I’m sure Lin is aware of and hopefully will wish for as he blows out the candles on his cake.

Happy Birthday Jeremy!