Jeremy Lin, the newly acquired point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers, is raving about the opportunity to play with a prestigious basketball organization, allowing him to team up with former NBA MVPs Steve Nash and Kobe Bryant.
But aside from the prestige of his Lakers stint, the Harvard-educated player also knows that he can further sharpen his game under the tutelage of the two surefire Hall of Famer.
In an interview with veteran NBA writer Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, Lin talked about his expectations as the newest member of the purple-and-gold and the chance to play hoops alongside Bryant and Nash.
"It's really exciting," Lin said of playing with Bryant and Nash. "What can't you learn from them? People have been asking that question a lot, and it's kind of, like, I want to learn everything.
"Kobe is a little different just because he's a different position, but there's just so much from a mental aspect and from like a recovery standpoint and so many different things like footwork [that he can teach me]."
"There are things that both of them can teach me, so I'm actually really, really excited. I'm hoping our team gets out there early or something before camp so I can start spending more time with them right away."
Indeed, Lin can learn so many things from Bryant and Nash, who have been through different situations in their legendary NBA careers.
Bryant, who's known for his competitiveness and killer instinct, can impart to Lin the unceasing desire to improve and defy all sorts of odds along the way. During his two seasons with the Rockets, the Asian American star showed flashes of brilliance that mesmerized everybody in the brief Linsanity era.
However, there were times he seemed restrained and uncomfortable on the floor, primary because of the presence of James Harden, who loves to always have the ball in his hands.
There's no denying Bryant possessed the same ball-hogging characteristics Harden has, but that mentality changed when he finally learned the value of teamwork in his last two championships with the Lakers.
On the other hand, Nash will be of great help to Lin in terms of making him a potent playmaker. Considered as one of the best passers in history, Nash can teach Lin to execute the bread-and-butter pick-and-roll play to perfection, allowing him to orchestrate plays with ease.
At 25-years old, Lin will have a chance to learn from the very bests, as he tries to reach his full potential as a member of the Lakers. He himself admitted that next season is going to be a grind for the purple-and-gold, but with the guidance of both Bryant and Nash along with the acquisitions of Carlos Boozer, Ed Davis and Julius Randle, he's pretty confident the Lakers will be competitive in their next campaign.
"Yeah, it is, for me," Lin said. "I haven't spoken with my teammates about what our team goal is, but I don't ever go into a season not expecting to fight for a playoff spot, and I think we have the pieces. I think Carlos Boozer is just, like, really good. I don't know; people seem to be [doubting him]. Maybe his stock has fallen over the last couple of years, but people forget he's a career 18 and nine guy. He puts up numbers like that. And I heard Kobe is healthy, so I think we'll be just fine."
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