Jeremy Lin becomes a game-changer in his Taiwanese league debut / News - Basketnews.com

Jeremy Lin delivered on and off the court in his maiden appearance in the Taiwanese P League, helping his team snap a 4-game losing streak. He even took on head coaching duties during a timeout.

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Jeremy Lin made his professional basketball debut in Taiwan, attracting 5,321 fans to watch the game.

The former NBA star’s Kaohsiung 17Live Steelers faced the Formosa Taishin Dreamers at Fengshan Arena, snapping their four-game losing streak with a resounding 95-80 win. The 34-year-old guard lived up to expectations with 21 points and a league-best 13 assists in 41 minutes of action, while winning Game MVP honors.

The Steelers signed the American-Taiwanese star to boost their poor record of 2 wins and 17 losses, and Lin has responded to the challenge. The ex-NBAer showed his passing skills at the beginning of the game, dishing out assists frequently. He scored 11 points in the first half, to go along with 9 assists, helping his team get a 56-40 lead.

When Lin stood on the free throw line in the last minute, he was applauded by the fans who shouted 'MVP, MVP'. But there was another incident that captured everyone's attention.

With 5 minutes and 11 seconds left in the second quarter and during a timeout, Ironman head coach Zheng Zhilong talked about tactics with the players. Jeremy Lin immediately added the "English version" to explain the next play.

Oleksyi Krasov came to listen, while Zheng Zhilong shouted "Attention! Attention! Attention!" and did not intervene in Jeremy Lin's explanation of the team's tactics.

The former NBA champion, who won the Finals with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, is expected to be the starting point guard for the Steelers.

"His presence on the court improves the ball movement as well as player movement," Steelers coach Cheng Chih-lung said. "The team's rhythm has completely changed, which opened everyone's eyes."

Despite the team’s downward trend, Lin -who last played for Guangzhou Loong Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association - is still sending encouraging messages to his teammates and the fans.

"If you focus on the process, you can accept the result," he said.

Lin added that even if results are not satisfactory, the team does not have to be ashamed if they can establish '100 percent commitment' in every aspect.

After Sunday’s game, the Steelers will play away at the Dreamers and Hsinchu JKO Lioneers on February 18 and 25 respectively.

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