Lin 'Can't Make It' To Speak At Stuyvesant High School Graduation
NEW YORK (WFAN) -- Call it a graduat-Lin? Well not quite.
Students at lower Manhattan's prestigious Stuyvesant High School really, really wanted Jeremy Lin to speak at their commencement. They even uploaded a seven-minute video to YouTube in an attempt to reach the star.
Responding on Twitter, Lin tweeted that he wouldn't be able to speak at their graduation, but did leave open the possibility of stopping by.
"Stuyvesant High! Awesome video...so honored to have been invited. I cant make it BUT im making a response video and will visit if possible!" the Knicks point guard tweeted earlier Thursday.
Even faculty got in on the push to get Lin, pleading for the Knicks point guard -- and Harvard alum -- to share his journey on June 25 at the Palace Theatre.
"One of my greatest duties is to figure out who the graduation speaker is," senior-class president Eric Han says in the introduction. "So after taking a school-wide poll consisting of over 800 seniors, we decided you would be the best fit.
"Your story is an inspiration to us all, and it would be an honor if you could come down and spend an afternoon with us, sharing some of your words of wisdom."
In the video, teenagers beatbox, rap, cheer and give witness to the effect Lin has had on the student body. No. 17 jerseys, "Linsanity," Knicks and Harvard apparel are all proudly on display.
"You've meant a lot to the city of New York, to me as a Knicks fan," said Stuyvesant golf team captain William Knight IV. "We need an assist and you're great at those. It'd be great if you came to speak at our graduation, it'd be a real slam dunk. Go Knicks!"
As the NBA's first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, Lin's popularity has skyrocketed since his stunning emergence in early February. Aspira Latino Heritage Club president Nader Daoud wanted to let the phenom know just how inspirational he's been.
"Just like you were breaking sports-racial barriers, you inspired me to break academic-racial barriers as part-Latino," he said while popping a "Harvard 2016" T-shirt. "Thanks, man."
AP Economics teacher Clarissa Bushman even took the opportunity to take a playful jab at Lin's career path.
"I just wanted to tell you that I'm just delighted to see that you're using your economics degree so effectively," she said. "Just kidding!"
