The Los Angeles Lakers introduced Jeremy Lin to the media Thursday.
It’s been widely speculated one of the incentives for the Lakers to bring Lin to the team is the large Asian American population in Los Angeles.
That’s something Lin acknowledges, according to the Asian Athletes Blog.
“I’m no stranger to large Asian populations,” Lin said. “I’ve always said and I will always be grateful for their support, and I know how die-hard the fans can be and how supportive and enthusiastic they can be. That’s one thing I always appreciate is through the ups and the downs is the support of the Asian community.”
Lin says he’s keeping in touch with Kobe Bryant via texting and the superstar has already told Lin to be prepared to work hard, something Lin says he’s prepared to do.
The key for Lin, he says, is not to put pressure on himself to re-create the Linsanity of New York.
“I feel the least amount of pressure on my shoulders now than I ever have,” he said. “One thing I try to do is not let my circumstances dictate the pressure as a player. I don’t think I play well when I do put a lot of pressure on myself from an outside standpoint. I know what I want to accomplish as a player and what the right way to play is and as long as I do that, I can hold my head up high and be proud of myself.”
You can read more of Lin’s thoughts as a Laker in Asian Athletes Blog.