All three were un-drafted.
Simply put, they were not chosen by any NBA teams to play for them when they said that they wanted to become a pro. Simpler put, they were not good enough.
All three had to fight to belong. To be included. Their path and their journeys started on the opposite spectrum of Kobe or of Lebron. Both players were drafted out of high school :- )
The first one, Jeremy Lin, is currently the toast of New York. The place that was immortalized by Sinatra's lyric, "... if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere!". The jury is still out for him. He still have to win a ring.
But the last two, Ben Wallace and Avery Johnson, were very integral parts of championship teams. Ben Wallace as the defensive force of Detroit when they defeated LA's Shaq-Kobe-Malone-Payton back in 2004 and Avery Johnson as a diminutive point guard who brought San Antonio's first championship back in '99 with Duncan and Robinson.
Jeremy Lin's ascendance reminded me of why I was drawn towards the story of the two champions. Why their stories resonates in the heart of my heart. The "I will prove you wrong" stories. The quintessential stories of breaking highly-paid expert's held beliefs about what is. The redefinition of things. The peeling of layers for a deeper truth about a thing.
And then to be given this chance to reveal the beautiful result of the battle within. The battle between doubt and certainty. The battle between fear and courage. The battle between giving-up and pushing through.
The battles prepare us. The chance reveals us.
I get it. I am from Tundo.
May my fire be not extinguish until the reason is accomplished. "I press on and fight a good fight..."
"... why think like mere men!"
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