A bodyguard in a black suit plows through the crowd with one arm, clearing the way for Jeremy Lin. Clad in gray basketball shorts and a bright blue sports jacket, the National Basketball Association (NBA) rookie faces the media limelight in a room densely packed with reporters and cameras.

Excitedly, a teenage basketball fan reads aloud a letter in which she describes how Lin's story inspired her. As the 23-year-old Lin quietly listens, he looks like the boy next door, like an older brother. At a listed height of 6 ft. 3 in., Lin is not as tall as the average NBA player.

Lin, whose parents immigrated to the United States in the 1970s, is the first NBA star of Taiwanese descent. After graduating from Harvard University with an economics degree, Lin signed a contract last July with his hometown team, the Golden State Warriors of Palo Alto, California, for the position of point guard.

Lin is also the first Harvard graduate to be signed by an NBA team since 1954.

Lin was able to reach his lofty goal of joining the ranks of international basketball stars because he turned adversity into opportunity and never gave up on his dream of playing basketball professionally.

"Failure for me is not giving myself the best chance to succeed," Lin said in an exclusive interview with CommonWealth Magazine.

In fact, Lin was not predestined at all to become a basketball star.

As a teenager Lin was neither tall nor exceptionally athletic, although he ran fast. As a freshman in senior high school, Lin stood only 5 ft. 3 in. tall, and even many female schoolmates towered over him.

"I just wanted to play as much as I could, because I loved doing it," Lin recalls.

Lin started to play basketball at the age of five. Three days a week his father Lin Gie-ming, a basketball lover, took Jeremy, his older brother Josh and younger brother Joseph, to the backyard after they had finished their homework for basic ball practice and games of two-on-two.

Don't Take It for Granted

Driven by a strong interest in the sport and helped by natural talent and solid training, Lin rose to captain of his high school team, and led his team to an impressive 32–1 record.

But passion was just the first step. Before Lin could realize his NBA dream, a hard, bumpy road lay ahead.

When Lin was a high school junior, his team represented Northern California in the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state championship game. Unfortunately, Lin injured his right ankle a day before the game when playing basketball with friends in the street. The injury took a few months to heal, and competing in the championship was out of the question.

"I didn't push myself, I didn't improve as much as I could have, and I didn't become as good a player, because I was too busy thinking how good I was," he recalls. But his accident served as a wakeup call, changing his attitude toward both his sport and his life. He discovered that he couldn't take basketball for granted.

From this moment on, Lin became even more serious about his sport, listened more closely to his coach's advice and trained more intensely.

Yet Jeremy Lin had barriers to surmount not only within himself, but also in the world around him. What does he consider his most difficult challenge?

"I would just say breaking a lot of stereotypes," Lin remarks. "Me being Asian definitely has something to do with it, those stereotypes. People are just looking at me and immediately thinking, ‘Oh, he's not gonna be that good.'"

After graduating from senior high school, Lin was not offered a basketball scholarship, which delayed his career as a professional basketball player.

During his college years, he still had to put up with mean-spirited sarcasm. Once when Lin walked onto the court, he heard someone say, "Volleyball practice is canceled. Now we're playing basketball."

Lin's father advised him: "As long as you win, there's nothing they can say."

For Lin, who never gives up, the taunting and stereotyping were only additional motivation to give his best.

During his junior year Lin led the Harvard team, which never counted among the strong teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). That year, they defeated the University of Connecticut, then nationally ranked 13th, and 17th-ranked Boston College. He also once scored 37 points in a single game.

In his senior year Lin finally set his mind on a career in professional basketball.

In the beginning Lin was overlooked by NBA talent scouts and failed to be drafted in the 2010 NBA Draft. On that evening he was both disappointed and angry, but all his anger was gone after he feasted on 150 chicken wings at a dinner with his family.

The following day Lin continued ball practice as usual. Eventually, the Golden State Warriors signed him after he played in the NBA Summer League.

Learn to Fail before Learning to Succeed

Lin's fledgling professional career was off to a challenging start.

Although Lin racked up a solid record of assists and steals in 29 games during his first season in the NBA, he was relegated to the NBA Development League halfway through the season.

Lin admits that he is somewhat disappointed with his own performance during the past season.

Sustained by a strong Christian faith and drawing lessons from past challenges and obstacles, Lin has found his way to squarely face setbacks: Give your best effort and let God decide whether you win or lose.

Once his knee injury has healed in six to eight weeks, Lin will resume his training routine: 90 minutes ball practice in the court in the morning followed by 90 minutes of weight lifting. In the afternoon his schedule includes a five-on-five game and shooting drills. All in all, Lin trains six hours per day, six days a week.

During his university years, Lin was used to playing shooting guard, but when he joined the NBA, he was assigned the position of point guard, coordinating the team by controlling the ball. His present goals: to make fast progress and help the Golden State Warriors win the NBA crown.

Before learning to succeed, Lin notes, we need to learn to live with defeat. He has learned that the lows in life can be used as a springboard to a better future.

Translated from the Chinese by Susanne Ganz