Jeremy Lin to Have Knee Surgery, Miss Rest of Season
Jeremy Lin will undergo knee surgery for a chronic meniscus tear that could leave the star missing the rest of the regular basketball season with his team the New York Knicks.
Doctors discovered the tear in the point guard's knee during an exam last week and Lin will be having surgery on his knee this week in New York.
"It (stinks) not being able to be out there with the team. And you know, it is what it is and so hopefully I can come back as soon as I can and help everybody," Lin said at a pregame press conference on Saturday.
"If this was done very early in the year, obviously …I don't know where my career would be," Lin said. "But having said that, this happening now hurts just as much, because all the players, we really put our hearts and souls into the team and into the season."
As one of the few Asian-Americans in NBA history and the first American-born player of Taiwanese or Chinese decent, Lin has made a huge splash not only in the United States, but also across Asia for rising up out of obscurity to playing a breakout 25-point game against the New Jersey Nets in February.
Although "Linsanity" will not occur on the court for some time, unless the Knicks make it to the playoffs, the popularity of the emerging basketball star is not likely to disappear anytime soon. Just last month, the Lin landed a two-year contract to serve as the face of the Volvo Car Corporation.
The New York Knicks star signed the contract with the car company to serve as a "brand ambassador" where his marketing efforts will focus primarily on the U.S. and Chinese language markets in Asia.
Lin was born in Los Angeles to parents who immigrated to the United States from Taiwan in the 70s. A majority of Lin's ancestors appear to have come from Taiwan, but his maternal grandmother came from Mainland China's Zhejiang province.