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| Jeremy Lin on the cover of Time Magazine |
I was viewing the NBA game of the week while I having some maintenance completed on my Minivan. The Knicks were playing the Mavericks on the national televised game. Once I took a quick glance around the waiting room it amazed me how all of the Asians showed a vested curiosity in the game. I later realized this was not because they happened to be fans of the NBA but to see Jeremy Lin in action.
The interest of Asians in the NBA is not a new thing in my view. I remember during my time in the Semiconductor industry I went to Taiwan on business trip and I took note of the popularity the NBA enjoyed in Taiwan and China from the life size posters of several NBA stars and their uniforms many teenagers wore with pride. In fact, the only sports you will find on their equivalent of ESPN are football (not NFL but English Premier League) and basketball.
However, this was in Taiwan, a half of a world away and not in the United States. The interest level in the game is testimonial to the marketing ability of the NBA which has done a fantastic job of exposing its sport to audiences outside of its normal viewership. The end result will create a global following on the league and its players. How can that be bad for business?
I cannot give the NBA credit for creating this Jeremy Lin story as a marketing ploy to expand interest in basketball, particularly to Asians. Jeremy Lin has, in part, done this to himself through his hard work and perseverance. Undoubtedly with a Harvard degree the NBA, in all probability, is not his solitary opportunity to make a good living. Clearly becoming a professional basketball player is something he wanted to do and went for it by putting the effort and believing in his abilities. I feel this is a take-away we could all take note of while watching a basketball telecast on a Sunday afternoon.
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