NBA: Lin to assist teammate in Dunk Contest - report
New Asian-American NBA superstar Jeremy Lin will find his way into the NBA All-Star Game weekend as a Slam Dunk Contest assistant to New York Knicks teammate Iman Shumpert, ESPN reported on Thursday. The NBA announced on Thursday that Shumpert, Minnesota's Derrick Williams, Indiana's Paul George and Houston's Chase Budinger will compete in the event on February 25 on the eve of the NBA All-Star Game in Orlando, Florida. Lin, the first US-born NBA player of Taiwanese and Chinese heritage, will have a supporting role in at least one of Shumpert's dunks, ESPN reported, citing unnamed sources. The move puts Lin, a seldom-seen bench-warmer two weeks ago who became a hero when forced into a starting role, into the NBA's signature weekend even though only in a back-up role. The news comes after Lin passed out a career-best 13 assists in a 100-85 victory over Sacramento on Wednesday, helping the Knicks win their seventh game in a row in his sixth start since he was inserted into the lineup. Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers will not return to defend his dunk crown from last year, which included leaping over the hood of a car before slamming the ball into the basket. Lin, a 23-year-old point guard, has incited "Lin-sanity" in his rise to fame and helped the NBA win back fans who might have been turned away by a lockout last year that has reduced the current season from 82 to 66 games per club.
