{"id":12441,"date":"2012-02-28T01:02:48","date_gmt":"2012-02-28T01:02:48","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2012-02-28T01:02:48","modified_gmt":"2012-02-28T01:02:48","slug":"Linsanity-brings-to-mind-first-Asian-American-NBA-player","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=12441","title":{"rendered":"Linsanity brings to mind first Asian-American NBA player"},"content":{"rendered":"

With all the Linsanity lately we can’t forget the first Asian-American in the league whose parents were Japanese.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wat Misaka’s story goes back to the University of Utah, during World War II-era, but he’s recently been interviewed by outlets from NPR to NBC, thanks to the surprise emergence of NBA start Jeremy Lin.<\/strong> Misaka also played for the Knicks, and on a visit back to Madison Square Garden was surprised to see that the first team plaque on the wall was from 1947, and it had Misaka’s name on it.<\/p>\n

He started on a University of Utah team that won two national championships, including one in 1944, while the U.S. was still at war with Japan and other Japanese- Americans were living in internment camps. At times, Misaka endured hateful comments from the crowd.<\/p>\n

“I just chose to ignore it all,” Misaka said. “I felt like it would do me no good at all to dwell on that and let it bother me.”<\/p>\n

Misaka won over crowds and teammates with his energetic defensive intensity.<\/p>\n

“In the forties the game was a lot slower than it is today,” said Bill Marcroft, a U. broadcaster. “But with Wat, his energy and his boundless enthusiasm stood out because nobody else played that way.”<\/p>\n

Misaka is a humble man. Looking back now, he prefers to focus on friends he made — like teammate Arnie Ferrin — rather than his own personal accomplishments. Meanwhile, a new book is out about the U of U. team from 1944, called “Blitz Kids,” which has sold movie rights for the story. <\/p>\n