Konted's Make My Day: Seize The Day

Jeremy Lin

Seize The Day

Seize the day. Grab the opportunity, for it may not present itself again. Do not squander it. And that exactly was what Jeremy Lin did this month of February in a series of spectacular performances in New York Knicks' games that has propelled him to super stardom. From a virtual unknown to a newsmaker, from a fourth-stringer to a starting five, Jeremy Lin has grabbed the limelight in the sports world as he continues to make waves in what most sports writers call as a "'phenomenon".

So one day last week, I set aside important tasks at hand and watched New York's game versus the highly touted Los Angeles Lakers. I wanted to see for myself if this Asian American is really made of sterner stuff and if he could hold his own against a star studded team made up of Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Andrew Bynum and Paul Gasol, among others.

And, guys, this 6ft3"' cager really can play. A good dribbler, he had complete control of the ball as he created, time and again, scoring opportunities for the Knicks. In several instances, he would slice the middle and score on twisted layups as he eluded the stretched hands of behemoths Gasol and Bynum. And to extricate himself out of difficult situations, he would step back and shoot with a fadeaway. He outscored the more illustrious Bryant, 38-34, in leading the Knicks to victory.

I am not a fan of the Knicks. I am a Boston Celtics die hard. The last time I rooted for New York was in the 1970 finals when Walt Frazier, Earl "The Pearl"Monroe, Dick Barnett, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere and Willis Reed fought it out with the favored Los Angeles Lakers whose line up included the legendary Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. But the situation is different now for the Knicks. Its offensive thrusts are presently anchored on Asian point guard Lin as the high scoring Carmelo Anthony is still in sick bay.

This story of Jeremy Lin is an extra ordinary one. Booted out last year by the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets to make adjustments in their salary cap just to accommodate their highly paid cagers, Lin was recruited by the Knicks but with no guaranteed contract. The first Harvard graduate to play in the NBA since 1954, Lin was virtually a bench warmer. In games he was sent in, he played for a few minutes.

Until that day this February when he was asked to play because most of the team's key players were indisposed. Not only did he deliver. He sizzled. He created a stir as the whole world took notice of this Asian American as he led the Knicks to a 7-game winning streak. He no longer sleeps in a couch in his brother's apartment. With a guaranteed contract of $788,872, Lin now has a condo unit at Trump Tower in White Plains, New York. And the security guards at Madison Square Garden no longer question him as he makes his way to the gym for practice sessions.

Now, this brings to mind a book I enjoyed reading in the past which, unfortunately, was lost in the fire that razed our Antipolo house. I am referring to the book"Jonathan Livingston Seagull" which was written by Richard Bach. It is a story of a seagull that was not content with just being a typical seagull that, day in and day out, would fly low near the shores and look for food on the ground.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull knew he had the potential and wanted very much to actualize that potential. Jonathan, with sheer determination and perseverance, tried and succeeded in transcending his limitations, most of which were merely psychological barriers or obstacles. One day, he learned to fly higher. Like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, Jeremy Lin has the potential, has succeeded in actualizing that potential and, triumphantly, has surpassed psychological limitations imposed by others. He is an Asian, just like you and me, showing his basketball prowess in a premier league dominated by Afro Americans. And there is no stopping to Lin's meteoric rise to stardom.

- Konted