Evan Jackson Leong’s documentary ‘Linsanity’ depicting the life of Asian American NBA star Jeremy Lin is expected to debut in theatres on October 4. Ketchup Entertainment recently bought the rights to the film, and it is currently being previewed at film festivals across the nation.
Jeremy Lin’s story is one-of-a-kind. The Asian American basketball player grew up in Palo Alto, California, where his Taiwanese parents moved in the 1970s. He grew up playing an abundance of basketball, the sport that he loved, and played for Harvard in college. Lin had much success in the Ivy League, averaging more than 16 points per game in his senior year and graduating with a 3.1 grade point average and a degree in economics.
Lin was not drafted in the NBA upon his graduation from Harvard, but was offered a spot on the Maverick’s NBA Summer League team. After having a great summer, Lin signed with California’s Golden State Warriors. He didn’t receive much playing time, however, and was released to the NBA Development League several times by the Warriors.
Lin later signed with the New York Knicks, but did not get much playing time at first. He considered playing overseas and also getting a non-basketball job, but then surprised the nation when the Knicks promoted him to the starting lineup in the 2011 season. Lin went on to lead the Knicks on a winning streak, averaging more than 18 points and 7 assists per game.
Although his stint with the Knicks was incredibly successful, Lin was encouraged by the Knicks to consider other offers and eventually signed a three-year contract with the Houston Rockets. James Hardin and Dwight Howard later joined the team alongside Lin.
‘Linsanity’ follows Lin’s story from his childhood to NBA stardom. Leong noticed Lin while he was playing at Harvard, and approached him about making the documentary at that time. Lin was hesitant to comply at first, but eventually gave in to Leong’s persistency and filming began in 2010. It was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year, and has also been previewed at South by Southwest and the Asian American International Film Festival.
