You’ve heard of Jeremy Lin, the former Harvard Point Guard that rose to fame with the New York Knicks during Linsanity.
You may have heard of Wat Misaka, the New York Knick who paved the way for Lin in 1947 by being the first Asian American player in the NBA.
But have you heard of Larry Kwong, the forgotten New York Ranger?
Kwong played for the New York Rangers for just one game during the 1947-48 season.
” I broke the ice a little bit,” he said to the NY Times. “Maybe being the first Chinese player in the N.H.L. gave more of a chance for other Chinese boys that play hockey.”
Kwong talked with the NY Times about the discrimination he felt during that time. the ice pond he and his brothers made behind the family store and the ice skates his parents gave him that were several sizes too big so he could grow into them.
Most of all he talked about the minute on the ice he got with the New York Rangers and how he became an all star in Canada. His story is amazing and you can read a lot more about it in the NY Times.
