I enjoyed watching Al Sharpton's interview of Spike Lee regarding the rise of Lin tonight at 6 on MSNBC. I think Lee and Sharpton really put their finger on what makes the Lin story so compelling.
Incidentally I am a big fan of Sharpton's show. I appreciate his support of the President. I don't agree that he's a shameless shill. When Obama has been subject to so many unfair and misleading attacks, it's good to have a counterweight.
Regarding Lin, Sharpton may have said it best. Lin's Asian heritage does give the story another layer of compelling-ness. I don't agree with Floyd Mayweather who claims basically that Lin's story has been overhyped because he's not black. I guess the history of racism makes some ultra sensitive to the idea that America doesn't like black athletes and resents that they have come to dominate the NBA to the extent they have.
I know from my standpoint I don't care about anything other than who helps the New York Knicks win basketball games. That's me. To be sure, the Lin phenomenon goes beyond being driven only by Knick fans. He has captured the imagination of the general public, even among people who aren't normally basketball fans.
Is the reason they're so excited simply because they are prejudiced against black players? I think Mayweather's feeling about this is unfortunate. I think Sharpton and Lee explained it well tonight. It's the overall sense of an underdog, and yes his Asian heritage adds a dimension to it. As Lee puts it, Lin doesn't "look like" an NBA superstar. He went to Harvard, is Asian, and was on the block to be waived and has no history as a star.
That's what is so unique. In today's NBA you just don't see someone sneak up on everyone. We usually know who the stars will be. As Sharpton says, "You never know who may be great. Don't typecast people based on looks. The person who doesn't look like much could be the company CEO."
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