Jeremy Lin interviewed with HuffPost Live Tuesday about his role with the Houston Rockets, and also touched on how leaving New York had been a bit of a surprise to him. The NBA guard isn't bitter about being let go, however, and has faith that God is sovereignly guiding his life for good - "I would just say I think God has a perfect plan for me, and I ended up in Houston," Lin says.
Jeremy Lin rose to NBA stardom in the 2011-12 season with the New York Knicks after coming off the bench to fill in for an injured player. He proceeded to lead the Knicks on a winning streak, and ended the season averaging over 18 points and 7 assists per game. He was given the nickname "Linsanity," and was called the Knicks' most popular player of the decade by the New York Times.
Lin became a restricted free agent for New York after the season concluded, which meant that the Knicks reserved the right to keep Lin so long as they were willing to match an offer that was given to him. The Houston Rockets eventually offered Lin a $25 million contract over three years and, much to everyone's surprise, the Knickerbockers chose not to match it despite having verbalized their desire to keep Lin the following year.
"I was surprised," the guard said of New York's decision not to match Houston's offer. When asked whether he was hurt by what had happened, Lin said, "Of course - even though everyone understands it's a business ... we're all human, so we all have emotions. It was definitely unexpected - but like I said, it's all working out and it's all a part of the plan."
Though he is no longer in the starting lineup for Houston, Lin says he enjoys the role that he has on the team. "I get to have a role bigger than some starters on other teams, so in that sense I've learned it's not really about all of that," he says. Although he was a starter during his first year with Houston, he didn't finish many games - now that he isn't starting, however, he has been given the opportunity to finish almost every game. "I think I'd much rather have my situation now," he says.
As far as his performance is concerned, Lin would like to improve on his three-point percentage - "I think it's gone up every year, but I want to be a 40% shooter from the three-point line," he says. Lin averaged 40% from the field during his junior year at Harvard, and currently shoots around 36%.
He also wants to improve on defense and on using his left hand more comfortably. "I do think I've improved a lot in those areas," Lin says - "I need to continue to build on it. Before, it was a complete weakness and a complete hole in my game. Now, I think it's more average, but I want to make it to improve to where it's a strength."
Watch the full interview at HuffPost Live.
