 The Warriors held a press conference for Lin after his signing , with national media in attendance . " It was surprising to see that ... for an undrafted rookie , " said then @-@ Warriors coach Keith Smart . The San Jose Mercury News wrote that Lin " had something of a cult following " after his signing . The San Francisco Bay Area , with its large Asian @-@ American population , celebrated his arrival . He became the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA . Lin received the loudest ovation of the night in the Warriors ' home exhibition opener at Oracle Arena when he entered the game in the fourth quarter . The crowd had started chanting for him in the third quarter . " That really touched me . It 's something I 'll remember forever , " Lin said . During the first month of the season , Oracle Arena fans continued to root for Lin to play in the end of games and cheered every time he touched the ball . He drew cheers from the crowd on the road as well , with some writers attributing the attention to the unique story of a successful Asian @-@ American basketball player . Nevertheless , Lin played more relaxed on the road , where he felt less scrutiny and pressure to perform . 
