Skip to content

Jeremy Lin says he’s “thankful” he wasn’t voted as All-Star starter

Feb 19, 2013, 2:08 AM EDT

13 Comments
Taco Bell Skills Challenge Getty Images

It came down to about 45,000 votes.

That’s how much separated eventual NBA All-Star Game MVP Chris Paul from being replaced as a starter by Jeremy Lin (who finished with 883,809 votes, more than 400,000 than teammate James Harden).

Now that the All-Star weekend circus has moved on from Houston, Lin can be honest — he didn’t think he was ready to be voted in. That’s what he told Dave Zangaro of CSNHouston.com.

“I’m kind of thankful I didn’t get voted because when … I want to make sure I’m fully, fully deserving of it, when I play,” Lin said after the team’s evening practice on Monday. “And I didn’t feel like that was the case this year.”

He’s right. Lin is growing as a player but he is not an All-Star. That’s not his motivation anyway.

“I’m not really any more motivated to make it to the All-Star Game to be honest,” he answered. “I’m happy for James (Harden, the Rockets representative9 but for a player, I don’t think that’s anybody’s motivation.”

Lin continues to have a sensible attitude about his game and his popularity. While it has taken time for him to adjust to a new team and getting used to playing with Harden, there are signs we are seeing signs of it working out (on the offensive side, anyway). And maybe there will be a time he deserves a spot on the team.

But not yet. We’re all thankful.

Skip to Comments (13)
Back to Homepage
  1. eventhorizon04 - Feb 19, 2013 at 3:00 AM

    Lin has been very self-aware on this matter.

    He didn’t campaign for All-Star votes using social media like Twitter, even with a starting spot within striking distance, because he understands he’s not “there” yet.

    Still – He’s only started 80 career games (less than a full 82-game season’s worth), and he’s averaged roughly 13 ppg, 6 APG, 3 RPG, at 44% FG this season. He also has definitely gotten better after a slow start, so I’d expect his stats next year to be significantly better.

    If he continues to improve, he’ll be a legitimate candidate for an All-Star spot soon enough.

    • zerole00 - Feb 19, 2013 at 12:16 PM

      Yeah I didn’t buy into the whole Linsanity hype (even as an Asian myself), but I do respect his character from what we’ve seen so far. I hope he does improve.

  2. captainwisdom8888 - Feb 19, 2013 at 4:09 AM

    Were all a bit too sensitive if we cant laugh at that haha. Didnt you see my ***disclaimer at the bottom?

    • Kurt Helin - Feb 19, 2013 at 11:16 AM

      That comment has been removed because it was racist and immature. At best. Disclaimers don’t count.

      • psung26 - Feb 19, 2013 at 1:38 PM

        Thanks for the mop up job Kurt. Only wish my comment wasn’t erased with his inappropriate remarks.

        What’s most ironic about this is his user name is “captainwisdom”

    • zerole00 - Feb 19, 2013 at 12:14 PM

      Or, you should try getting an actual sense of humor.

      • zerole00 - Feb 19, 2013 at 12:15 PM

        This was in response to captainwisdom8888 by the way. Reply option didn’t work for some reason.

  3. musilly - Feb 19, 2013 at 7:13 AM

    [Insert racist comment]
    ***[Insert self-defeating disclaimer]

    Grow up. Have a little respect for others–and yourself I might add.

  4. nokoolaidcowboy - Feb 19, 2013 at 7:31 AM

    Yeah, make a racist joke behind a keyboard and make a disclaimer. You must feel real cool. We can only imagine what a real winner you are in real life.

  5. akmgiants - Feb 19, 2013 at 10:15 AM

    wow you should start a stand up career. what insight and creativity you possess!

  6. majorhavoc83 - Feb 19, 2013 at 10:17 AM

    Now *this* is why I’m a Jeremy Lin fan (and still bummed he’s not here in NY under the tutelage of Jason Kidd). Honestly, Jeremy is just a kid, at age 24, but he’s very self-aware of who he is as a person and a player. I think that’s very cool and mature. As long as he keeps focusing on his game and playing hard on the court (with intensity), he’ll become a solid and very dependable PG. Not sure if he can ever duplicate his brief run with the Knicks, but I sure hope he does.

  7. thecitizensnips - Feb 19, 2013 at 10:18 AM

    what a turd sandwich.

  8. mj1818 - Feb 19, 2013 at 11:41 AM

    “I’m thankful I’m not good enough to be an all-star” pfffft

Leave Comment

You must be logged in to leave a comment. Not a member? Register now!

More ProBasketballTalk
Back to Homepage
Top 10 NBA Player Searches
  1. D. Rose (4535)
  2. D. Wade (4520)
  3. L. James (3422)
  4. G. Hill (3415)
  5. S. Curry (3353)
  1. N. Robinson (3302)
  2. I. Shumpert (2848)
  3. L. Deng (2752)
  4. C. Anthony (2630)
  5. J. Smith (2600)
Search player news