Zondervan and Center Street have announced plans for rush-to-press books about NBA superstar Jeremy Lin, the New York Knicks point guard—and Christian—who is experiencing a meteoric rise to fame.

With an adult and youth edition, Zondervan’s Linspired is scheduled to hit stores in April. Written by best-selling sports author and journalist Mike Yorkey, it will reveal the inside story and the remarkable rise of Lin, the first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA.

“I'm not exactly sure how it is all going to turn out, but I know for a fact that God has called me to be here now in the NBA,” Jeremy Lin said in an interview with Yorkey in Linspired. “And this is the assignment that He has given me. I know I wouldn't be here if that wasn't the case. Just looking back, though, it's been a huge miracle. I can see His fingerprints everywhere.”

Zondervan Vice President and Publisher Tracy Danz said: "We have the opportunity to share an exceptional story of a young man who has captured the hearts of so many. We hope to honor Jeremy Lin by telling his story as he so humbly honors Christ and influences a country.”

Linspired will include interviews from tennis’ Michael Chang, the first notable Asian-American athlete, and Lin’s pastor, Stephen Chen, of Chinese Church in Christ in Menlo Park, Calif. Pat Williams, senior vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic, also weighs in on this phenomenon.

Meanwhile, Hachette Book Group has announced its Jeremy Lin: The Reason for the Linsanity will be published in May under the Center Street imprint.

An inside look at the life and development of Lin as a professional player, the book will be written by Timothy Dalrymple. It will explore how Lin’s faith, family, education and cultural inheritance have contributed to his success and will include interviews with basketball experts on Jeremy’s future in the NBA, Asian-American leaders on the role of race in Lin’s rise to stardom and renowned Christian athletes and pastors on the combination of faith and sports.

Dalrymple, director of content for Patheos.com, has done interviews with Lin in the past two years. He also has written broadly on the issues of faith and ethnicity as they pertain to sports and has served for years in Asian-American ministries and churches.

• Prev
• Next