Stereotypes and the NBA

Shawn Kurian

America is a place that is lauded for its overall tolerance for people of all different cultures and ethnicities. But it is not always true. America was nicknamed “the melting pot” of the world. However, a melting pot includes in its description, a mixing and unifying of cultures; “melting all the cultures together into one. This has caused many to argue that America is instead a “salad bowl” where multiple cultures exist together in one form but remain distinct. As a general civilian of Chicago, I have seen the salad bowl much more clearly than the melting pot, because prejudices and stereotypes still keep some people from integrating fully. Most recently, NBA sensation Jeremy Lin called out this inequality that exists in an interview as a reason that prevented from entering the NBA earlier.

Jeremy Lin is a 24 year old, second year NBA player and starting

point guard for the Houston Rockets. Lin shot to fame after being picked up by the New York Knicks due to injuries to their other guards, and then performing phenomenally until injured late in the season. As a result, the Rockets signed him for a three year $25 million contract to play for them. But what further adds to Lin’s story is that he came undrafted out of Harvard, then played briefly for the Golden State Warriors and Rockets, but then returned to the NBA’s development league, where he was picked up by New York. Recently, Lin conducted an interview with ‘60 minutes’ and discussed how a race barrier in college prevented him from being drafted out of high school. Indeed, after being Palo Alto HIgh School’s basketball team’s captain as well as California’s player the year award. Yet, he was not picked by either UCLA, Stanford, nor Harvard for basketball.   

Lin’s ethnicity is part of why he was a sensation last season. Other than Yao Ming, there hadn’t been  a Asian NBA player that reached the national and even international spotlight. But upon reaching the spotlight, Lin reflects that being a white or black high schooler would have given him the chance to be drafted by a college. Though heavily underrated, the stereotypes and prejudices that keep of different cultures away from reaching their full potential is surprisingly large. And while Lin is living well now, imagine he could have been if he had played for college and was then drafted into the NBA.

So how do you become well-known even if stereotypes are held against you? Work hard, play hard, and you can get recognized for your work. The NBA is seeking to accept players from all over the world, especially American states, and as the premier basketball league seeks to a place for high and strong competition. Let us hope that the NBA continues to this with continued attention to giving all players a fair chance to come play.