Accompanied by his parents and two brothers, Taiwanese-American basketball player Jeremy Lin (林書豪) returned to Taiwan yesterday after signing a US$500,000 partially guaranteed contract with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors last week.
In his first press conference with Taiwanese media, Lin spoke Mandarin and thanked fellow NBA player, Houston Rocket Yao Ming (姚明), for giving him the opportunity to return to Taiwan.
Yao invited Lin to play in a charity basketball game last night at Taipei Arena. Today, Lin will meet students at Nanshan High School and coach a clinic to help them improve their basketball skills.
Asked whether he would represent Taiwan by joining the national basketball team, Lin said that the news was only a rumor.
“So far, no decision has been made,” he said.
Regarding his contract with the Golden State Warriors, Lin said he was not allowed to publicly disclose the terms of the agreement.
While many NBA teams expressed interested in signing him after the NBA summer league, Lin said he chose the Warriors after taking into account various factors, including the contract, location and available roster spots.
Lin said that he was a fan of Michael Jordan when he was growing up, and he would watch Jordan play and try to copy his moves.
“I have always wanted to play in the NBA. I knew that ever since I was a little boy,” he said.
Lin, who majored in economics and minored in sociology, said he hopes to do non-profit work and teach children how to play basketball. A devoted Christian, Lin also said he was interested in becoming a pastor and starting an urban ministry. He also credits his Christian faith for his accomplishments.
“God has blessed me and taken me every step of the way. Whether I got drafted or not, it all turned out for the best,” he said, when asked about the perceived disadvantages of being a basketball player of Asian decent.
On his first visit to Taiwan in 10 years, Lin said he is interested in eating snacks at a night markets, especially onion cakes, crab pastries and turnip cakes.
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