Jeremy Lin Bested by 14-Y-O Basketballer in Iceland
Charlotte Hornets point guard Jeremy Lin was on vacation in Iceland when he was challenged to a one-one one game by a 14-year-old basketball player he met at an ice cream shop.
Being a good sport, the Christian basketball star accepted Julíus Orri Agustsson's mother's challenge to play her son on their home court, which was captured on video.
While Agustsson managed to take a 3-0 lead over Lin, the NBA player explained his missed shots by saying, "I haven't played in a little bit, so I'm a little out of shape," according to Iceland magazine. which posted the game footage on its website.
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Lin has used his star power to inspire students in the past, including sharing some of his NBA struggles with young athletes in order to encourage them.
Earlier this year, the Hornets point guard teamed up with Khan Academy, an online platform that provides students with math resources outside of the classroom. Although Lin's message didn't have much to do with mathmatics, it did encourage people not to give up when odds seem insurmountable.
"After my first year in the NBA I got cut by two different teams and I remember at that point I was pretty discouraged. I was considering quitting or taking a break from basketball," Lin said in a Khan Academy LearnStorm video.
"I'm glad I stuck with it because the third team that picked me up was New York Knicks and from there I got to find a great opportunity for me to play and showcase what I can do as a basketball player. Had I not given it another shot or had I not continued to play, I would have lost a tremendous opportunity and now I'm entering my sixth year in the NBA," he continued.
"I know some of my teammates have done different things with their shots and they've seen different successes this season. So for me, even in this moment right now, I know as long as I continue to work hard over time I'll see the results that I want. Sometimes it clicks right away, but sometimes it's a long process and it can be painful at times."
For the NBA player, it was important to go through the trials and tribulations before seeing progress.
"Sometimes it's kind of like a rollercoaster where you might be taking two steps forward, two steps back. But with everything I feel like at some point in time it really clicks," he said. "You kind of turn a corner and you make an improvement you want to see. So for me, learning new skills through my life has just always trying to stick with it, love the process."
