Taiwan-American NBA sensation Jeremy Lin provided encouragement Aug. 5 to Wu Yung-sheng, a 15-year-old Taiwan player headed to the U.S at the end of the month to pursue his basketball dreams.
Wu, a graduate of Taipei Municipal Jinhua Junior High School, was named MVP of the 2012 National Junior High School Basketball Championships. Lin, who signed with the Houston Rockets in July, told him to work hard, believe in himself and enjoy the sport.
“The important thing is you should remember who you are and to let that add motivation and for you to continue to do what got you here … continue to be consistent and you’ll be fine,” Lin said at a news conference in Taipei City.
“I’ve been through some pretty bad slumps; what worked for me is confidence. A lot of times you may think it’s something about your shot, or your dribble or something that you’re doing wrong. But you’re a great basketball player, that’s why you are where you are. So … remind yourself what you’ve done in the past and who you are as a basketball player.”
In response to Wu’s question about how to become a successful player, Lin said, “To be successful, you have to work hard and believe in yourself and the most important thing is to have fun. I think if you have success but don’t have fun along the way, I’m not sure if it’s really worth it.
“Our lives are so short. The time that we spent, doing whatever we’re doing, in our case basketball, we should really, really enjoy it. The more we enjoy it, the more we’ll want to work harder and the more we’ll want to get better at it.”
Lin’s meteoric rise from unknown bench player to starting guard for the New York Knicks has inspired many young players in Taiwan. He will host a basketball camp for elementary and junior high school students in New Taipei City Aug. 27 to 30. (THN)
Write to Grace Kuo at mlkuo@mofa.gov.tw