Jeremy Lin made his return to the New York area but with a new team and new persona. In his post-Linsanity era, Jeremy is the now one of the faces of the Brooklyn Nets alongside big man Brook Lopez. As the point guard, Lin is the captain of the Nets ship. He’s looking to make his mark as a top point guard in the league and his Brooklyn journey began with a home victory over the Indiana Pacers.
In 34 minutes of action, Lin scored 21 points, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out nine assists in his home debut for Brooklyn. Jeremy put on a little show for his new team and did it under the guidance of a coach he has a close connection to.
Check out Lin’s highlights below.
After the solid game, Lin paid tribute to a man who has been a heavy influence on his career. Jeremy gave the game ball to Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson, who also made his home coaching debut not far from his hometown.
On top of that, Kenny also had his family in attendance, including his seven brothers.
Atkinson says all 7 of his brothers are coming tomorrow. He's one of 8 guys. #Nets
— Bryan Fonseca (@BryanFonsecaNY) October 27, 2016
Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press has more on Lin giving Atkinson the game ball.
Jeremy Lin fell just short of a triple-double, though there was a 10th assist after the buzzer.
The point guard tracked down the game ball and gave it to Kenny Atkinson, who got his first win as an NBA coach not far from where he grew up.
“Pretty special,” Atkinson said, his eyes welling up a bit.
Atkinson was the assistant coach who worked closely with him on that team, and Lin’s first thought was of the Northport native when the buzzer sounded.
“This is his and he deserves it, and I better not see him play with that ball or whatever,” Lin said. “He better get that framed and make sure he knows.”
