It was only a year and a half ago that a phenomenon swept the globe and made basketball fans a little, well, "Linsane."Remember that? Back then, Jeremy Lin had a historic run that led the New York Knicks on a winning streak, dubbed "Linsanity." Crowds fell for the feel-good story of an overlooked bench-warmer who slept on friends' sofas to take a shot in the NBA.
A new documentary takes a look at the life of Jeremy Lin before the madness. "Linsanity," out in select theaters October 4, offers a glimpse of Lin's road to stardom: He was a standout basketball player in summer leagues, competed in a tightly contested high school state championship and faced racial epithets as an Ivy League athlete before landing, undrafted, in the professional league.
From the documentary, it's clear the 25-year-old Lin was used to being an underdog, and overcame his share of challenges with a deep faith and persistent spirit.
"I'm always trying to have a good time, joking around, goofy," he said. "I think I try not to take anything really too seriously."
In this edited conversation, CNN spoke to Lin, now with the Houston Rockets, about how his faith sustains him, what he learned from his months in the brightest spotlight and how he responds to racism.
CNN: What did you learn from Linsanity?
Lin: I learned a lot of things. I learned ... about how fame and success, worldly success, are great, but they are empty in a lot of different ways, and I think I learned that emptiness through Linsanity.
I also learned you know, how fun it can be and I remember how fun it was to play basketball and to play at that level and to play with my teammates. That was definitely a lifelong memory as well.
Source: CNN | Alicia W. Stewart
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