In celebration of the 10th anniversary of Linsanity, a documentary about the life and meteoric rise of NBA star Jeremy Lin, the team of filmmakers behind the production are gathering in Los Angeles on Friday, February 25, for a conversation about the making of the film.
The panel includes the film’s director and cinematographer, Evan Jackson Leong — a longtime friend of Jeremy Lin, along with producers Brian Yang and Christopher Chen.
The event will also feature prominent Asian Americans like comedian and Daily Show correspondent Ronny Chieng, Angry Asian Man founder and editor Phil Yu, writer and anchor Cary Chow, sportscaster Michelle Yu, and TV host Alex Niu.
In addition to the live event, the streaming platform Montage is exclusively screening the Linsanity 10th anniversary special edition.
The updated release will feature behind-the-scenes footage of Jeremy Lin and film narrator Daniel Day Kim (Lost, Hawaii Five-0), as well as actors John Cho (Harold & Kumar, Star Trek) and Daniel Wu (Tomb Raider, Warcraft).
If you were even loosely following the NBA season in 2012, you’ve almost certainly heard the name Jeremy Lin.
Born in California to parents from Taiwan, Lin was an undrafted free agent with the New York Knicks in 2012 when, out of desperation amid a dismal season, coach Mike D’antoni called him up from the end of the bench to compete against the New Jersey Nets.
Lin led the Knicks to victory with 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, sending a frenzy through the basketball world in what was the beginning of the now-legendary run known as Linsanity.
Interestingly, Leong set out to film the documentary well before Lin was a household name in the NBA.
“I agreed to film after my rookie year in Golden State. I was more used to cameras and felt that my journey to the NBA was a story worth sharing,” says Lin of the documentary.
“Little did we know how much bigger the platform and documentary would become after Linsanity.”
One of my favorite things people tell me is that they got inspiration from watching Linsanity the documentary.
Celebrate the 10 year anniversary with some cool people – @angryasianman, @briflys, Evan Leong, @michelleyutv…and I guess @ronnychieng too https://t.co/FWE81MWBnE
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) February 16, 2022
Linsanity was the official selection for the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, South by Southwest Film Festival, Hong Kong International Film Festival, Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, Zurich Film Festival, and more.
The Los Angeles event kicks off at 9 PM EST, 6 PM PST and is completely free to attend. You can sign up for online viewing by clicking here, or watch the 10th-anniversary edition of Linsanity any time on Montageplay.com. (RADII readers can get 20% off of all site purchases using code RADIICHINA.)
Jeremy Lin competes against a young fan during an event in Hong Kong, China, in 2015. Image via Depositphotos
Lin grew up in Palo Alto, California, where he led his high school basketball team to a 31-1 season and a state title as captain in his senior year.
He received no offers from Division 1 colleges despite his phenomenal high school performance and instead built upon the momentum at Harvard. He graduated with a degree in economics and made history as the first Ivy League player to record more than 1,450 points, 450 rebounds, 400 assists, and 200 steals in 2010.
But despite his record-setting performance, Lin received little attention as a prospect for the NBA, going undrafted the same year. He played his inaugural season in 2011 with the Golden State Warriors, followed by a brief stint with the Chinese Basketball Association’s (CBA) Dongguan Leopards during the NBA lockout.
When he joined the Knicks roster in 2012, Lin was nearing what was said to be his last chance at an NBA career. Of course, that quickly changed.
Between 2012 and 2019, Lin played for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and, finally, the Toronto Raptors, before signing with the CBA’s Beijing Ducks on August 27, 2019.
Jeremy Lin of the Beijing Ducks wipes away blood after getting injured during a playoff game against Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers in August of 2020. Image via Depositphotos
He briefly returned to the U.S. to play for the Golden State G League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors in early 2021 but has since returned to Beijing, where he remains the starting point guard for the Ducks.
Jeremy Lin’s inspiring story extends far beyond the Linsanity of 2012. By breaking NBA records, crushing stereotypes, and battling racism throughout his career, Lin has served as a role model for generations of Asian youth around the world.
Cover image via Depositphotos
