 Lin considers himself a basketball player more than just an Asian American . He understands that there have not been many Asians in the NBA . " Maybe I can help break the stereotype , " said Lin . " I feel like Asians in general don 't get the respect that we may deserve whether it comes to sports , basketball , or whatever it might be , " Lin said . Prior to the 2010 – 11 NBA season , Americans of Asian descent who played in the NBA included Wataru Misaka , Raymond Townsend , Corey Gaines , Rex Walters , and Robert Swift . " [ Lin 's ] carrying the hopes of an entire continent . I only had to carry the hopes of Little Rock , Arkansas . He 's accomplished a lot more than I have already , " said Derek Fisher , who had won five NBA championships with the Lakers , after his first game against Lin . Lin is setting an example for prospective Asian athletes in America who rarely see Asian @-@ Americans playing on their favorite teams . " I don 't look Japanese , " Walters said , referring to his mother 's ethnicity . " When they see [ Lin ] , it 's an Asian @-@ American . " 
