If you have been following the sports news lately, you’ll find out that everyone on the basketball world is saying one name.

Jeremy Lin.

For those of you who are not acquainted too well with the sport, Jeremy Lin is an Asian-American basketball player who graduated from Harvard but went on to follow his dreams of becoming a professional basketball player. Being Asian, he was often criticized as being too “undersized” and too “thin” too play basketball, yet he persevered and worked hard to make sure that he got his first goal which is to enter the NBA.

Jeremy Lin almost never made it to the NBA though. When he first entered the league, he was given a chance to tryout for the Dallas Mavericks but the team opted to cut him out of their current lineup. Instead of giving up on his dream, Jeremy Lin still went on to practice everyday and eventually he was able to make it to the lineup of the Golden State Warriors.

But Jeremy Lin and his trials weren’t over.

Equipped with a number of superstar point guards that competed for the position he was playing at, Jeremy Lin was loaned by the Golden State Warriors to the NBA Developmental League. There, in a league where there were no superstars, no cheering fans and no spotlights, Jeremy Lin worked hard to improve his game. He believed that everything happens for a reason. Keeping focused on his goals is important in grabbing the once-in-a-lifetime chance that might come to him anytime soon so he worked hard, day-in and day-out.

The opportunity of the lifetime came soon for Jeremy Lin

New York is a proud city with a proud sports fan base. And when the two top players for the team were injured, the opportunity came for Jeremy Lin to show what he was made of. New York acquired Jeremy Lin from the NBA Developmental league but his contract was not yet signed. Jeremy Line had no security for his future yet.

But things changed fast after he led the New York Knicks to 7 straight NBA wins (including a 38 point performance against the long-time champions Los Angeles Lakers) and went on to become the top player to score the highest during his first 5 starting games, Jeremy Lin’s fate was sealed. His success was whispered in the ears of people around the world and his determination became the focal point of inspiring sports stories all around the globe.

Jeremy Lin inspired a Cinderella story that we can only dream of in today’s world. Although he was cut-off from the NBA 2 times and almost got called-of the third time, he did not lose faith in himself and continued to work hard in order to achieve his dreams. He even slept on the couch of his brother because he had no other place to go to before his contract was signed. But because he was able to prove his worth when the chance came, he was able to grab the opportunity and in return reached the dream that he longed to achieve.

What does Jeremy Lin and his story tell us?

Jeremy Lin showed to the world the true power of hard work, perseverance and keeping your head up in times of difficulties. Had he lost determination when he was first cut out from the playing lineup, he might never have the heart to continue pursuing his dreams. By consistently working hard and preparing himself for that one-chance-of-the-lifetime, Jeremy Lin succeeded the expectation of a lot of people. His success was a story of determination, perseverance and never losing faith on the things that you want to achieve in life. His success is a story that we can all replicate in our daily lives.