HOUSTON -- Jeremy Lin figured he'd be having this kind of news conference in New York. Instead, he was talking about his new deal with the Houston Rockets on Thursday on the same practice court where he worked in virtual anonymity seven months ago before he was waived. Lin became a Rocket again when the Knicks decided not to match Houston's three-year, $25 million offer. "It's been an unbelievable ride," Lin said. "Just a lot of things I didn't expect to happen, in terms of just the way last season went. I still have to kind of remind myself that this is all actually happening, sometimes. But it's a huge blessing. I can't believe how it all shaped up and for me to be here right now. I'm definitely excited and thankful." Lin said he expected to be re-signed by the Knicks after he electrified the Big Apple last season before he was sidelined by a knee injury. Shortly after the Knicks officially declined to match, Lin was quoted on SI.com as saying, "Honestly, I preferred New York." Lin said the question he answered was set in the context of before the start of the free agency period. "The question was, 'Going into free agency, which team did you prefer?' " Lin said. "Before July 1, I didn't even know what teams were interested in me. But all I was hearing was, 'You're going back to New York.' At that time, before free agency started, I preferred New York. By the time it came to the offer sheet, I was just excited about both opportunities. "Houston and New York," he said, "I was definitely excited about the possibility to go to both." But probably not as excited as the Rockets were to get him. Houston has missed the playoffs the past three seasons, and when Linsanity skyrocketed in New York, general manager Daryl Morey was kicking himself for waiving him on Christmas Eve. When Lin hit a winning 3-pointer in Toronto on Valentine's Day, owner Leslie Alexander called Morey to tersely ask him again why Lin was no longer a Rocket. At the time Lin was released, the Rockets had Goran Dragic and Kyle Lowry on the roster -- two point guards with NBA experience. And who knew what Linsanity would become? "We had very fair reasons to waive him," Morey said. "But the reality is, we shouldn't have." The Knicks didn't initially see his potential, either, dropping him briefly to the developmental league in January. He was recalled in early February and with team floundering at 8-15, coach Mike D'Antoni turned to Lin. The 23-year-old undrafted point guard out of Harvard scored 25 points in a 99-92 win over New Jersey and a global phenomenon was born. He proved to be more than a one-game wonder, becoming the first player in league history to average 20 points and seven assists in his first five games. Lin jerseys became the league's top sellers, he made the cover of Sports Illustrated in consecutive weeks and had drinks named for him in New York. He initially was overwhelmed by the media glare. Now, he takes it in stride. He went to dinner with new teammate Chandler Parsons in Houston on Wednesday night, and Parsons estimated they were interrupted 15-20 times by fans asking for autographs and photos. "nba" "jeremy lin" "rockets" "houston rockets" "new york" "new york knicks" "knicks" "linsanity" "sports news" "lin" "transfer" "Las Vegas" "American national team" "London Olympics" interview "kobe bryant" "LeBron James" "usa basketball olympic team" "brazil" "exhibition game" "present" "obama" "Dream team2012" "blake griffin" "Mike Krzyzewski" injury knee training practice conversation coach "Las Vegas" "American national team" "London Olympics" "kobe bryant" "Kevin Durant"
Jeremy Lin arrives in Houston Airport - YouTube |
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