Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin has dominated the sports headlines in the past week.  As his New York Knicks ride a 5 game winning streak, Lin is facing the reality that he has become an instant cultural phenomenon.  He has scored at least 23 points in each of his last four games, shot at least 53% from the field, and recorded at least 7 assists in each contest.  

Throughout his career, Jeremy has consistently been overlooked by scouts.  Out of high school, he did not receive an scholarship offer despite averaging 15.1 points, 7.1 assists, 6.2 rebounds, and 5 steals per game.  He led Palo Alto High School to 32-1 record and a state championship.  Instead of walking on at Stanford or UCLA, he attended Harvard where he was a unanimous selection for the All-Ivy League First Team during his senior year.  In 2010, he graduated with a degree in economics and a 3.1 GPA.  Although his basketball credentials were impressive, no NBA team was willing to take a chance on him in the 2010 draft.  After working hard to impress NBA scouts in summer league games, he received contract offers from four teams.  He eventually signed with the Golden State Warriors, but saw minimal playing time in his first season.  He was assigned to the Warrior’s developmental league affiliate on three separate occasions.  On the first day of training camp after the NBA lockout, the Warriors released him. 

On December 27, 2011 the New York Knicks claimed Lin off waivers to be their backup point guard.  After another brief stint in the D-league, Lin has become an instant sensation after his strong performances in the past two weeks.  Even though he isn’t the best athlete on the court, he plays the game with great poise and awareness.  

His success story provides a striking insight.  Overlooked opportunities exist everywhere, and it can benefit us to discover them.  Each day, we miss opportunities because we have inherent blind spots and engrained patterns of thinking.  If we apply this idea to business, we realize that there might be unclear openings to add value to a company.  In relationships, there might be someone that can help you with your personal development if only you are willing to give that individual a chance.  Food for thought.