Can China Produce Its Own Jeremy Lin?

Since the past week news of the “Basketball Boy” Lin Shuhao, more prominently known as Jeremy Lin in the US, has been spreading around the world. Forbes magazine estimates the brand value of the 23-year-old Lin had jumped to $14 million, ranking sixth in the world. His Chinese background has prompted a discussion on whether China can produce its own Lin Shuhao.
On February 20th, Lin Shuhao once again inspired the fans of the New York Knicks. Assists, steals, cut-in or long shot, each of them were amazing. His playing was more than skill, it seemed to make the basketball come alive.
Lin Shuhao is the first Harvard graduate to play in the NBA for nearly half a century. Many basketball fans know his success story very well. Lin Shuhao was born in California. His mother Wu Xinxin and his father Lin Jiming come from Taiwan. Coming from this background and being in the limelight, this “Harvard boy” has prompted people to reflect on China's sports system.
Hannah Bates, a reporter in the US, asked in an article, can China produce someone like Lin Shuhao? Bates believes this is almost impossible because China does not value the enthusiasm of their basketball players and Lin Shuhao’s skills of control and defense require creativity, which is eroding in China's sports system.
Chen Kai, a former national Chinese basketball team player, shared his views on the issue. Chen pointed out that China's nationwide sports system is such that it can arbitrarily fire athletes. This makes the players feel very insecure and unwilling to take chances.
Chen Kai stated “being a Chinese basketball player is like skating on a thin ice for fear of making mistakes. In the sport of basketball you should dare to take a chance at the right moment, you should dare to shoot a basket. When the culture in sports is that everyone wants to avoid responsibility for their actions, how can a person play well? This is a very deep cultural reason.”
Lin’s success was rated with American characteristics. It’s typical that success depends on the individual’s effort. Chen Kai pointed out that the Chinese sport’s system, which is nationwide but centrally controlled, is a sick one. Chen Kai continues, “Its whole system is designed to eliminate a person’s passion and to eradicate recognition of the individual. Meanwhile Lin Shuhao really loves this sport. He is devoted and plays basketball very passionately. Even if a game is only for 30 or 40 minutes, he just loves to play. Sports can turn out to be a true reflection of a society's culture.”
When Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni was interviewed, he mentioned that Lin Shuhao’s inner world is very great. Additionally when Lin Shuhao was interviewed by Taiwan media, he revealed that spiritual belief is very important to him. Chen Kai notes, “A person with a spiritual belief is genuine. When a person is genuine that person focuses on the game instead of concentrating on finding excuses for themselves. Of course Lin Shuhao makes mistakes when playing. It does not matter if you make mistakes. A person with a strong character knows that he can learn from mistakes, and make progress. I think this is very important. How a person plays sports reflects his character.”