Incoming free-agent point guard Jeremy Lin still appears haunted by the up-and-down performance he had with the Los Angeles Lakers, admitting his failure to meet everybody's expectations was the most disappointing part of his stay with the purple-and-gold.
In an interview with Asia-Society writer Tim Lau, the 26-year old Lin talked about the journey he went through to fulfill his NBA Dream, detailing his humble beginnings as a bench warmer to becoming a regular fixture with an NBA team.
Lin, who went undrafted in 2010 despite four outstanding years at Harvard, believed his obsession to stay in the NBA and rise through the ranks has preoccupied him too much to the point that he realized that he's already not enjoying the process. Moreover, the Asian-American star also discussed the frustrations of the sub-par season he had with the Lakers last season.
"In Los Angeles, my favorite thing was being able to enjoy the city with family and friends. My least favorite thing was the disappointment and unmet expectations of our team last season," Lin told Asia-Society.
After two seasons with the Houston Rockets, Lin was traded to the Lakers last summer in exchange for virtually nothing in a salary-saving move for general manager Daryl Morey. Despite losing his job to Patrick Beverley in his final season with the Rockets, Lin expected to have a bigger role with the Lakers because of their lack of depth at the point guard spot.
With Steve Nash unable to continue his NBA career after another injury setback, Lin clinched the starting spot at training camp. Unfortunately, he once again squandered away his job to his backup after just 20 starts, as Lakers head coach Byron Scott thought he wasn't consistent enough to suffice his basic requirement as the team's primary ball handler.
Lin spent the next three months playing limited minutes off the bench. His free-agency offseason appeared on its way to becoming a complete disaster but a strong second half surge allowed him to turn things around and make him an intriguing option for several teams this summer.
Averaging 11.1 points and 4.6 dimes last season, Lin is still open for a possible reunion with the Lakers, but there are other teams like the Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets expressing interest in the Asian-American star.