Taipei, Aug. 6 (CNA) Jeremy Lin, a Golden State Warriors point guard, impressed Taiwanese aspiring ballers with solid skills and friendliness on Saturday at a youth basketball clinic in Taipei.
As the first Taiwanese-American to play in the National Basketball Association (NBA), Lin shared his training techniques with 20 schoolchildren and 20 teenagers in a second summer camp event during his visit to Taiwan.
The 22-year-old demonstrated dribbling drills with his younger brother Joseph Lin, who plays for Dickinson College, and his personal trainer.
"Don't be afraid to mess up" in the drills and challenge yourself, Lin told the youths at the beginning of the practice.
The Harvard graduate instructed the young players one by one and showed them how to do ball fakes and shoot a floater. The two clinic sessions lasted for more than two hours on an outdoor court in Taipei's Xinyi District.
"The little kids, the first group, I was surprised at how fast some of them were. So, they had some good speed," the Palo Alto native told reporters.
He noted the elementary students were "just happy and fun to be around," adding "I think that's so important at that age, especially to be able to enjoy basketball."
"The older group, you know they have some solid skills and they are...I think there are some stuff today hopefully I showed them that they've never seen before and they can really work on and strengthen and improve on it," Lin said.
Lin Hsin-hsiang, a sixth grader from New Taipei City, was chosen as the MVP of the clinic's younger group by Lin.
"I learned a lot of stuff that I did not know before," said the boy, adding that the NBA player's dribbling was terrific and he was very friendly.
The MVP award for the teen group went to 16-year-old Liang Chung-che, who was chosen because he really listened to the instructions and worked hard during the session, said Jeremy Lin.
Liang, who was surprised to be picked, said "I want to be like him (Jeremy Lin) in the future."
"I love to, you know, be an influence and have impact on kids, and to be able to be a role model. And that's something I don't take lightly but at the same time, I don't wanna just, I don't want that to be my only goal," Lin answered when asked whether he envisions himself becoming a leading figure like Chinese player Yao Ming, who retired from the Houston Rockets earlier this year.
Published August 05, 2011 21:04