Ceblogger's Sports Blog » NBA Basketball

What Makes Jeremy Lin a Hit

ceblogger — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 10:35:54 +0000

Have you ever wondered what makes Jeremy Lin a hit in the NBA? If you are a sports fanatic especially that of basketball, the name does surely ring a bell. And it’s an underdog story that makes it into a Linsation and had a cult following that exemplifies Linsanity.

People love underdog stories and that does not exempt Jeremy Lin’s story. In fact his story is perfect for such kind of setting. He is a graduate in one of the top Universities of the world and posses a high level of IQ. However, life was not always good for him. Although he was good in basketball and lead his high school team to Division II state title, he never got any athletic scholarships.

What makes his story so interesting is that he never made any buzz or created any stir in the basketball community despite all of the awards and achievements he has made in the sport. Scouts find him as someone who is too thin and has a flawed jumper. However, what makes him different from other talents is that is a smart passer and has a high IQ with regard to the game.

Scouts who were looking for a player that can create immediate impact on the game do not find such thing on Lin. “I am a type of player that in order for you to see my facets of the game, you have to see me play several times”, Lin said of himself. During the 2010 NBA draft he went undrafted, but that did not discourage him from pursuing his goals and becoming better at his game.

His way on top was not easy. He was cut off several times by several teams and at times his contract is not guaranteed. He needs to fight for his spot on the roster. He was usually the 14th or 15th guy on the team. Then something happened that made a big turnaround on his career. While playing for the Knicks against the Celtics and uncertain whether his contract will be guaranteed, he was given a shot. It was a desperation move perhaps by their coach. What he did next was something that many did not expect. Soon after that game his coach gave him more minutes and each time he never failed to deliver. His superstar team mate, Anthony, noticed how good he was and suggested to their coach that he be given more playing time. Given the opportunity to start in a game he played extremely good. Each time he was given the starting spot he makes good of it is always in double digits. During this run, with him on the starting point, he turned his team from mere cellar dwellers to a playoff contender team.

His success to the top was never easy. He made a lot of sacrifices and has gone through a lot of hardships. But what really makes him a hit? And why do people really love this guy? One thing that differentiates him from the others is that he stays humble and keeps his feet on the ground despite of the sudden success and the attention that he has garnered. He plays own game without being too flashy. He also has high respects for his opponents which makes likeable among other players.

People find his story very interesting because they were taken by surprise. His rise to stardom was the least people expected. He did it extraordinarily and convincingly against top tier opponents and more so he became the go to guy during the absence of his superstar teammates. He was able to lift the standing of their team through his leadership at the point position. Jeremy Lin took the world by surprise through his breakout performance and became a world sensation especially with the Asian crowd.

Jeremy Lin Undergoes Surgery, Will Miss Season

ceblogger — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 08:24:06 +0000

Knicks famous point guard Jeremy Lin has had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee and posted a picture of himself on Twitter and on his Facebook page while recovering in his hospital bed.

The procedure was performed by team orthopedist Dr. Answorth Allen at the Hospital for Special Surgery. The Knicks says Lin had a successful surgery.

Lin was upbeat on his condition and even tweeted and posted: “Praise God for a successful surgery. Now on the road to recovery! Lets gooo. Much love to the fans for your support and kind words.”

Lin is expected to be out for about six weeks and if the Knicks will survive deep into the playoffs, then we’ll see no. 17 again and his heroics for New York and the fans. The Knicks are currently two games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks for the last playoff spot. And we know that the last spot will most likely play the no. 1 team. Without Amare and Jeremy, surviving the first round is difficult.

2011 NBA Finals MVP: LeBron James or Dirk Nowitzki?

ceblogger — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 07:57:26 +0000

The 2011 NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat has just started and it seems very personal to two players who had been in the Finals before, but never gotten the elusive championship ring. LeBron James vs Dirk Nowitzki – a match-up between two superstars, two very high caliber players.

2011 NBA Finals MVP: LeBron James or Dirk Nowitzki

Dallas and Miami met at the 2006 NBA Finals, wherein the Dwayne Wade-led Heat won over the Nowitzki-led Mavericks 4-2. Both teams were on the NBA Finals for the first time, and also their last prior to the 2011 encounter. Miami Heat trailed 0-2, before bombarding Dallas with 4 straight victories to run away with their first and only trophy. Now for the 2011 NBA Finals, Nowitzki and the whole of Dallas’ team have every reason to come out with their best and avenge their defeat 5 years ago.

Dirk Nowitzki, a 7ft power forward from Germany, played for the Dallas Mavericks since 1998. He was NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2007. He is currently the Mavericks’ all-time leading scorer and averages 25.6 points per game during post-season. Nowitzki is considered one of the best shooters in the game. He sinks in almost 88% of his free throws, connects on almost 50% of his field goal attempts and hits 40% of his three-point shots. His shooting ability plus his height makes him difficult to block at any range. I’ve seen him dunk the ball too many times.

Another thing noticeable in Nowitzki’s stats is that he upped his average on games where it mattered most. On regular season he averages only 23ppg but makes it 25.6 on post-season. He also made plenty of winning treys.

LeBron James, is a 6’7” small forward who first played for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003 as in first pick. Since joining the NBA, James set numerous youngest player records, including the youngest person to score 10,000 points in his career at 23 years and 59 days. He was MVP in 2007 and 2010. He was the focal player of the Cavaliers, even leading them to the 2007 NBA Finals. In 2010, on a much-publicized free agency process, he transferred to the Miami Heat on reasons that he thinks he could win trophies there.

At Miami, James played all-around game with superstar teammates, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. At his first regular season at Miami, James production downed to 26.7ppg, 3points less than his previous year’s output at Cleveland. But it did not matter to him as the scoring chore is well distributed and they are on the Finals anyway.

Who’s Your Pick? Nowitzki vs James for the Finals MVP

Derrick Rose is the regular season MVP but his Bulls team was torched by James’ Heat in the Conference Finals. Other say that Dwayne Wade could reclaim the honors he won in 2006. It is possible really. But for now, the focus is on Dirk Nowitzki vs LeBron James for the 2011 NBA Finals MVP. Miami already took game 1.

I say it will be LeBron. Agree?

LA Lakers vs Boston Celtics: NBA Finals Game 6

ceblogger — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 02:42:24 +0000

It’s now the game 6 of the NBA Finals between defending champion LA Lakers and the 2008 Champion, Boston Celtics. Game 6 is currently played now at the Lakers’ Staple Center, wherein the temperature is rising as Kobe Bryant and his teammates are trying to overcome a 2-3 deficit in the series.

Previous Results

Game 1 (LA): LA 102 - Bos 89
Game 2 (LA): Bos 103 - LA 94
Game 3 (Bos): LA 91 - Bos 84
Game 4 (Bos): Bos 96 - LA 89
Game 5 (Bos): Bos 92 - LA 86

After Boston Celtics’ victory at the Staple Center in game 2, it seemed that they are ready to sweep the Lakers in the Boston Garden. But Kobe Bryant and his LA team fought back and took game with a brutal force.

Game 6 Halftime Results

The Lakers are out with a fury, dumping the visitors by 20 points at halftime. The score is 51-31 for the Lakers, and Kobe Bryant is the leading scorer with 15. For the Celtics, their trio of Garnett, Pierce and Allen, combined for 29 out of 31 points scored.

The Lakers attack started at the first quarter with 28-18. Again, it wasn’t any different in the second quarter as the again bombarded the Celtics with another 10 point lead, 23-13. Was it the Lakers’ defense? Or is Boston misfiring?

We’ll see in the 2nd half if Boston can turn the results around.

Fulltime Results

Final score is 89-67 for LA Lakers, as they rout the Celtics starting from the 1st quarter. This is getting to be more exciting as the series now goes to Game 7.

Boston vs Cleveland in the NBA 2009 Eastern Conference Finals

ceblogger — Mon, 11 May 2009 12:36:11 +0000

Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA 2009 Eastern Conference Finals! The conference semifinals is not yet over as of this writing. But my NBA playoffs prediction is a Cleveland vs Boston in the East. I have not really watched NBA games for the longest time, but I can’t escape reading news about games updates. Where is the NBA fan in me? If you want to watch live the Boston vs Cleveland games, check your local TV stations or the nearest NBA ticket outlets.

Cleveland will trample Atlanta. They are into a possible sweep now leading 3-0. And these were not even close games. The average gap in the final score is 21 points. This is massacre! Who can stop LeBron James? I don’t think of anyone from the Hawks can stop him. Game 4 will be started a few hours from now. Though a long rest will not be good for the Cavs, what can we do if they’re too good to lose?

What about the other side of the series? Despite the 2-2 standing between Orlando and Boston, I still think the Celtics team will come out as the winner. KG, Allen and Pierce can take care of the Magic. Even though the Bulls almost got them, I still believe in the defending Champion.

But between Cleveland and Boston, who do I think should move on to the Finals? Honestly, I’d like to see a back-to-back title for Boston. But if the Cav wins, I’ll surely root for them if they go up against the Lakers, which I hope will lose to the Houston Rockets.

UPDATE:
The Celtics will not face the Cavs in the Eastern Conference finals. They lost in game 7. It will be Orlando vs Cleveland!