The World Was Introduced to Linsanity 10 Years Ago and It’s Changed Forever
Too busy to get your daily dose of RADII? We got you every Tuesday with a summary of all the freshest takes on China’s youth culture in the last week.
- To celebrate the 10 year anniversary of one of the most otherworldly performances in NBA history, we relive the incredible journey of Jeremy Lin.
- Are you living a dream lifestyle on debt? While we wouldn’t advise it, it seems many young people in China are on that track.
- Many viewers in China loved the new Pixar flick Turning Red Movie, while others debated whether its narrative does a fair job reflecting modern Chinese culture.
- We read the tea leaves for you and unpack how China's famous Pu'er tea is made and why it is so bloody expensive.
- Could it be that a Taiwanese dessert holds the key to unlocking the alleged “Asian secret to longevity”? It might sound too good to be true, but that’s what American rapper Cardi B is proposing.
Intrigued? Keep scrolling, my friend.
10 Years After ‘Linsanity,’ Jeremy Lin’s Story is About More Than Basketball
Linsanity. It’s the linguistic hybrid marking an era in which NBA star Jeremy Lin upended the world of basketball.
It’s the otherworldly performance characteristic of Lin during a period that began in February 2012.
It’s the collective high of fans the world over watching a previously unknown — and different — basketball player go Super Saiyan on the court.
It’s an award-winning film that documented it all.
Linsanity. It’s the single most iconic portmanteau to grace the basketball world since 1891, when James Naismith dropped a ball through a basket and named the sport itself.
It has been 10 years since the world came to know the name Jeremy Lin. Now 33 years old, the California-born baller played nine NBA seasons with eight different teams before joining the CBA’s Beijing Ducks in 2019.
After a stellar first year in the East (Lin averaged 22.3 points, 5.6 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.8 steals), the former Knicks point guard returned to the U.S. and joined the G League (formerly the D League), the NBA’s official minor league, in the hopes of an NBA renaissance.
Lin was the seventh-highest scorer in the G League, but not a single franchise threw him an offer, making him the only top-ten scorer to secure no contract that season.
When May 16, 2021, came and went, so did Lin’s final opportunity to play professionally in America.
“I’ve always known I need to jump through extra hoops to prove I belong,” he said in a heartfelt message on social media two days later.
“I told myself I just need ONE ten-day contract, one chance to get back on the floor, and I would blow it out the water. After all, that’s how my entire career started — off one chance to prove myself,” he writes.
“For reasons I’ll never fully know, that chance never materialized.”
Lin’s final departure from the NBA can arguably be characterized in much the same way as his journey into the league. He is an undeniable talent, a leader, and a player who will do whatever it takes to level up, but overlooked due to forces over which he has no control.
Meet the Young Trio Behind Macau’s First and Only Craft Brewery
“Macau has a dream. The city can have its own manufacturing, and it has its own culture,” says Crystal Kwok. “It is more than just tourism and gambling.”
Kwok is the marketing director for Funny Eye Brewing, Macau’s first and only craft brewery, which she founded alongside friends Alison Tam and Lucas Lio. The company is independently owned and produces a variety of small-batch beers with unique flavors.
“We want to proudly say that we’re a brand from Macau, and it’s also 100% made in Macau,” says Kwok.
What’s the full story behind Funny Eye?
- FAMEME, Yu Cheng-Ta’s flamboyant and eccentric alter ego, is on an outsider’s quest for fame and acceptance in American culture.
- Absolute Purity’s album “We Fought Over The Moon” was released by Ruby Eyes Records on March 8 after a two-year recording process.
- Struggling to finish Pamela Reif’s workouts? You aren’t alone. Many in China have shared their failed attempts, even generating a new hashtag.
- Uzi's latest break from professional play comes after announcing his retirement in 2020 due to physical illness and mental health concerns.
- The COVID 19 banger everyone in Shanghai needs right now! This new track’s comical lyrics were composed by rappers CATI2, P.J, and 寿君超Keyso, with the use of the Shanghainese dialect lending the work cadence.
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