Lin's underdog story inspires the world

 　　BEIJING, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- Although Jeremy Lin's sudden emergence¹ came too late to make him an All-Star and he only played limited time in the Rising Star Challenge last Friday, he still managed a starring role and was not outshone by any big guys.

　　The NBA even gave the Asian-American his own press conference which was usually only afforded to Commissioner² David Stern.

　　However, about three weeks ago, the 1.91-meter-tall player had been struggling to have a stable contract with the New York Knicks and had to sleep on a teammate's couch when his brother's place wasn't available.

　　Unlike former Chinese player Yao Ming who was the Rockets' top pick in the 2002 draft, Lin was undrafted out of Harvard and was cut by two clubs late last year before he caught on with the Knicks, signing two days after Christmas.

　　He saw limited action in his first nine appearances in New York, averaging just six minutes a game.

　　The night before he scored 25 points off the bench against New Jersey³, Lin had slept on teammate Landry Fields' couch and refused to get his own place as he headed into the week the Knicks would have to decide whether to cut him or keep him for the rest of the season.

　　But after that match Lin really found his pace, scoring 28 against Utah, 23 against Washington and going off for 38 points against Kobe Bryant's Lakers and the legend was born as the Knicks won nine of 10 games with Lin leading the chargeThe 23-year-old's Cinderella story has touched basketball fans around the world, and they even created a new word for him - "Linsanity".

　　Lin, the Harvard-educated guard and first American-born NBA player of Chinese heritage, has taken China and the world by storm, with his skills, humor and work ethics⁴. He made it to the covers of both Sports Illustrated⁵ and Time Magazine's Asia Edition.

　　People tend to think Asians are better at "skill" sports like table tennis and diving, but come up short on physical and aggressive games like soccer and basketball. However, Lin and Yao Ming have proved that Asians could also become first-class basketball players with different styles, which inspires millions of young people including Wang Yipeng.

　　The 28-year-old Wang, who had played for a Beijing junior high school team, concluded that size and height didn't matter that much in basketball.

　　"Lin's success tells us that nothing is impossible as long as you try hard and do it right," said Wang, who stands only 1.65 meters tall. "One of my friends who didn't touch basketball for years told me that after watching Lin's game, he would hit the court tomorrow."

　　Lin also became a media darling in Taiwan, where his parents grew up. His sudden fame even propelled his grandmother to a newsmaker status as she repeatedly talked to the camera about Lin's eating habits in childhood.

　　Lin is also providing a fresh impetus⁶ to the NBA's lucrative⁷ China business in the wake of Yao's retirement⁸. While difficult to match the huge interest generated by Yao over the years, Lin's sudden stardom means that basketball fans in China have another person to relate to, beyond Yi Jianlian, currently the Asian nation's only NBA player.

　　According to NBA China CEO David Shoemaker, Lin's stunning⁹ rise is spurring growth in TV ratings and merchandise sales that soared during the years Yao played with the Houston Rockets.

　　Lin's underdog story continued as he had his first bad game as a starter last Thursday, held to eight points and three assists on 1-for-11 shooting in a loss at Miami.

　　People are waiting to see Knicks' next match against the Celeveland Cavalier Thursday and looking forward to what "Lincredible" will deliver.

1 emergence   

n.浮现，显现，出现，（植物）突出体

参考例句：

• The last decade saw the emergence of a dynamic economy.最近10年见证了经济增长的姿态。
• Language emerges and develops with the emergence and development of society.语言是随着社会的产生而产生，随着社会的发展而发展的。

2 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

3 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

4 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

5 illustrated   

adj. 有插图的，列举的 动词illustrate的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• His lecture was illustrated with slides taken during the expedition. 他在讲演中使用了探险时拍摄到的幻灯片。
• The manufacturing Methods: Will be illustrated in the next chapter. 制作方法将在下一章说明。

6 impetus   

n.推动，促进，刺激；推动力

参考例句：

• This is the primary impetus behind the economic recovery.这是促使经济复苏的主要动力。
• Her speech gave an impetus to my ideas.她的讲话激发了我的思绪。

7 lucrative   

adj.赚钱的，可获利的

参考例句：

• He decided to turn his hobby into a lucrative sideline.他决定把自己的爱好变成赚钱的副业。
• It was not a lucrative profession.那是一个没有多少油水的职业。

8 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

9 stunning   

adj.极好的；使人晕倒的

参考例句：

• His plays are distinguished only by their stunning mediocrity.他的戏剧与众不同之处就是平凡得出奇。
• The finished effect was absolutely stunning.完工后的效果非常美。