Jeremy Lin's race matters and that's a good thing

The NBA and all its fans are happily captivated by "Linsanity."

The Jeremy Lin phenomenon has been the biggest story of the month, as the undrafted Harvard grad is the type of underdog story we all tend to cheer for. Add in the fact that in his short time in the spotlight, he's already accomplished what no Asian-American player has accomplished before, and it's easy to see why everyone roots for the kid.

Well, not everyone. There's always someone that has something negative to say, even about great stories like this one. The latest detractor is Floyd Mayweather.

Last week Mayweather tweeted:

"Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise."

Sorry, Floyd, but they actually don't do what he does every night. Lin is the first NBA player to score at least 20 points while giving out seven assists in his first four starts. This is the first time he's ever seen meaningful NBA playing time, and he's already won Eastern Conference player of the week honors.

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In the New York Knicks 92-85 point victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, he outscored Kobe Bryant -- who just moved to fifth on the all-time scoring list -- 38 to 34.

There's no doubt -- Lin is getting unbelievable hype right now and part of the reason is because of his Chinese and Taiwanese heritage. But he deserves it and there's nothing wrong with it. Race matters.

Earl Lloyd, the league's first black player, was recently honored for breaking basketball's color barrier in 1950. There was a time when black players couldn't play the game professionally -- and were no doubt elevated and celebrated when they did get an opportunity to shine and prove their worth.

Lin is not Earl Lloyd -- but in a similar vein, he's making the most of an opportunity - which is what sports is all about.

There's nothing wrong with celebrating an athlete because he's doing something well and is of a different race than most of the other players. African-Americans have long held up Tiger Woods in golf, and to lesser extents James Blake in tennis and Jozy Altidore in soccer.

Chicago Bulls forward Brian Scalabrine is known as "The White Mamba." He's cheered by both home and away crowds. It has nothing to do with skill level, but rather he's white and generally fun to watch.