Jeremy Lin did a reddit AMA on Wednesday, and, naturally, he tackled the important questions.
Like whether former Los Angeles Lakers teammate is a super genius.
It all started when Lin was asked about the funniest teammates he has ever played alongside, to which he responded (h/t HoopsHype):
Jeremy, who’s the funniest guy you’ve ever played with?
Jeremy Lin: Hmmm great questions. It’s really hard because the NBA is full of soooo many personalities. And some of my teammates are unintentionally funny because they are either crazy or not that bright (shh dont tell anyone i said that). But the funniest ones are probably Jared Jeffries and Nick Young.
So Young is funny. We get it. We know this. He’s been one of the NBA’s foremost authorities on general goofiness for some time.
But because this is the world we live in, someone interpreted Lin’s answer to mean that Young was some kind of dunce. Lin took that take and dragged it in a different direction entirely:
So Nick Young is not so bright. Got it.
Jeremy Lin: hahaha hes actually really bright. He’s one of the wittiest, quickest thinkers
Should we really be surprised by this? Young did attend USC for three years, and that’s not exactly a cakewalk school. He’s also created this persona that people love. His standing as the NBA’s class clown is actually really smart. It’s recognition. It’s his brand. And establishing your own brand in the Association’s world, an entity overrun with individual brands, is beyond savvy.
This can only mean one thing: Young is Albert Einstein incarnate.
Back to basketball, though.
Lin left the Lakers to join the Charlotte Hornets, where he will be playing behind Kemba Walker. He opened up about his decision to leave Los Angeles in that AMA as well:
Why Charlotte?
Jeremy Lin: Because they were very serious about wanting me and because they gave me the best opportunity to be the player I feel like I can be on the floor. My conversations with Coach Clifford and Coach Silas really persuaded me that they understood my game and how to use me.
The Hornets are fully invested in being mediocre. That’s not up for debate. They gave up on Noah Vonleh after one season in favor of free-agent-to-be Nicolas Batum, they re-signed Walker last fall, they extended Michael Kidd-Gilchrist over the offseason, and they turned down a chance to acquire four first-round picks from the Boston Celtics just so they could bring in Frank Kaminsky. So, yes, this team is fully committed to remaining in the middle.
Lin can help the Hornets remain in the thick of that race for a bottom-two Eastern Conference playoff. He’s an underrated playmaker, and his decision-making off pick-and-rolls is pretty good.
But playing behind Walker complicates things. Neither he nor Lin is known for their off-ball scoring. Lin has made strides in that department over the last year or so, knocking down 36.7 percent of his spot-up bombs last season, according to SportVU data from NBA.com, but if he’s going to play in conjunction with Walker, he needs to be an even bigger off-ball threat. That’s one of the few ways in which he can guarantee himself extensive playing time—otherwise, much like the last two seasons, he’ll be left to lament his inconsistent usage.
