Jeremy Lin is now with the Charlotte Hornets - and despite a huge cut in his pay, the former Los Angeles Lakers player is thrilled with the recent change.
During his remarkable season with the New York Knicks, "Linsanity" was born - which branded Lin into the minds of NBA fans.
But after that season, the Linsanity fire died down and it stayed that way even during his stay with the LA Lakers.
"It was baptism by fire," Lin tells the Charlotte Observer. "You grow up and learn on the fly. If I could go back, I wouldn't change it. I learned the tough lessons and the highs and the lows, and it was a special time for me and my family. In a lot of ways it helped me establish myself of being able to play in the NBA - which I didn't know if it was a reality up until that point."
However, as Jeremy Lin signs on with the Charlotte Hornets, the 6 foot 3 point guard knows what he wants to get out of it - a chance to truly grow.
"I think one thing that I want to do is kind of see how close I can get to reaching my full potential," says Lin. "I think in order to do that it takes a lot of work on my end. It also takes finding the right situation, the right coach, the right system. I think this is a huge step in the right direction."
Jeremy Lin's optimism towards the Charlotte Hornets is truly remarkable, despite getting a huge pay cut from signing on to the team.
After getting a huge payout of $15 million from the LA Lakers as an offshoot of the Houston Rockets contract, last season, Lin will get a pedestrian $2 million a year with the Charlotte Hornets, according to reports.
This puts Lin in the handful of players who took large pay cuts to play with teams that they want to be a part of.
"The big difference is that Lin is happy about his pay cut -- Lin probably bought playing time (and some peace) with it. Lin said Charlotte 'came out of nowhere' and he made his decision quickly. He's looking for the opportunity to excel, not break the bank," 2 Paragraphs noted.
"I want to get back to what makes me what I am as a player, which is being aggressive, being on the attack and always charging toward the rim. I think that will help create easier shots for this team," Lin said.
With Jeremy Lin playing for the Charlotte Hornets, there's one thing fans would like to know. Will there be another wave - or even a shadow - of Linsanity during his contract?
"I don't know what my limit is. I don't know how good I can be. But my goal is to find out," Lin said.
