Asian boom in the NBA

Many Korean athletes ply their trade abroad these days, but it was big news in the 1980s. Koreans were interested in whether basketball sharpshooter Lee Chung-hee could play in the NBA. Though relatively short for a player (180 centimeters or 5-feet-10), his fadeaway was always perfect. Lee got an offer from the NBA after he ranked second in scoring in the 1986 world championships, but could not play in the U.S. because he had to stay in Korea for five years after serving in an alternative military service under Korean law. In 2004, center Ha Seung-jin became the first Korean to play in the world`s top hoops league.

The NBA is dominated by African Americans, with the best players having been black including Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. The 1994 film “White Men Can’t Jump” can explain this phenomenon. Some say 10 black athletes intensely playing the game in front of white spectators make them think of Roman gladiators.

Asians are joining the black-dominated NBA. Chinese center Yao Ming was popular in 2002 given his height of 229 centimeters or 7-feet-6, but he cannot compare to New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. Lin is an Asian American born to Taiwanese parents, graduated from Harvard, and relatively short (191 centimeters or 6-feet-3) but has led a Knicks revival with his guts and shooting accuracy. The slogan “Nothing is Linpossible” is a big hit.

Among Americans cheering for Lin, some are biased against the player. Many black players are as good as Lin but do not draw fans’ attention. Yellow peril was popular in Germany in the late 19th century. Some see discrimination against Lin a fear from the Mongolian cavalry regiment under Genghis Khan. Regardless of how Westerners see Asians, sports can show a small Asian running through taller players and making a superb slam dunk.

Editorial Writer Ha Tae-won (triplets@donga.com)