8 Entrepreneurial Lessons from Jeremy Lin

There are reports that Jeremy Lin, the famous guard from the New York Knicks might be forced to hang it up this season due to an injury that will most likely have him sidelined for the next 6 weeks. With the playoffs around the corner, it is very likely that Linsanity has come to a conclusion (at least for the season).

Thx for all the love! Ill return from this surgery stronger/better than before and hopefully in time for the playoffs! Ecclesiastes 3:1&11

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) April 1, 2012

For those that haven't heard of Lin, you have missed out on one of the most exciting stories this NBA Season. It is the classic story of the underdog that never gets a chance and is constantly ignored. He finally gets his opportunity and runs with it.

Much has been written about Jeremy Lin from an entrepreneurial standpoint and rather than duplicate something already created, I decided to compile my favorite lessons for entrepreneurs via Jeremy Lin from across the web.

Entrepreneur Lessons

1. Humility Strengthens Your Network (via Geek Wire) – “Jeremy Lin has certainly exuded a humble, no non-sense public persona in post game interviews. But a true measure of someone is what they do when they are no cameras around. Similarly, startup founders can take heed. It’s not about you. It’s about enabling your team to succeed.”
2. Find the system that works for your style (via Forbes) – “Lin isn’t Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant.  He’s not a pure scorer.  He’s a passer and distributor – who can also score very well.  Mike D’Antoni’s system at the Knicks has been perfect for him to show off his strengths.  You’ve got to do your best to understand what your strengths are and then ensure that you’re in a system (a job or organization or industry) that is a good fit for those strengths.”
3. Perseverance (via The Next Web) – “Graduating from Palo Alto High School (2006), Jeremy wasn’t recruited by any Division I school (where most college athletes get tested for the pros). After college (2010), Jeremy wasn’t drafted into the NBA. He had a partially guaranteed contract with the Golden State Warriors before getting cut in 2011.”
4. Manufacture the Miracle: When opportunity meets preparedness (via Geek Wire) –  “Jeremy came prepared to every practice by arriving 3 hours earlier than the rest of his teammates. This man prepared with the disciplined and academic rigor of a, well, Ivy league student.  So he really did not emerge from nowhere. He studied this game and earned every inch of success.”
5. Timing Is Everything, So Be Patient (via EntreRev) “Jeremy Lin bounced around and was cut by two teams who wanted to sign other, more established players. He was able to start on the Knicks only after an injury. Just shows how very often, things come down to external factors such as timing.”
6. Work Hard (via The Next Web) – “This is a combo effort of working hard and working smart. No one is going to give you a chance if you don’t demonstrate the willingness to push for your goals. In developing his skills, Jeremy recognized his strengths and weaknesses. He’s worked hard at excelling on his strengths and diminishing his weaknesses.”
7. Don’t Get Hung Up on What Others Think (via EntreRev) – “Lin is accustomed to failure. But even through all these obstacles, Lin was determined to show the world what he already knew about himself: that he deserved to be taken seriously as a professional basketball player. We are programmed from a very young age to base our value on what others think of us.  However, as an entrepreneur, it’s absolutely crucial to not take criticism and failure to heart, especially before you've had a chance to show what you can do.”
8. Maintain Focus (via Inc). “Despite all the Lin-sanity, Jeremy has not been distracted by the hype and attention, at least so far.”