The Los Angeles Lakers will kick off their campaign in the 2014-15 NBA season against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday where newly-acquired point guard Jeremy Lin will make his debut in a purple and gold uniform.
Lin, who was acquired by the Lakers in a trade this offseason, was named as the team's starting point guard and his first game as a Lakers starter will come against his former team.
The 26-year-old point guard might have an axe to grind against the Rockets after starting just in 33 of 71 regular-season games last season as he was bumped off on the depth chart by Patrick Beverley, just a year after starting in 82 regular-season games for the Rockets.
Lin, who averaged 12.5 points to go along with 4.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game last season, said, though, that he has nothing against the Rockets, reiterating that he still has a lot of good friends in Houston.
"I have a great relationship with so many guys over there," Lin said in an interview with the LA Daily News. "It's not like I hate whoever with my former teammates or coaches. I still talk to them."
The former Harvard University standout added that the Rockets decision to start Beverley last season made him a matured player, realizing that nothing is permanent in the NBA, which will be the same approach that he will take heading into his first season with the Lakers.
"I have to continue to take day by day," Lin said via ESPN. "The reason I say that is my whole experience in Houston taught me that nothing is guaranteed but if I do get a bigger role or a bigger chance, I'm going to try to do everything I can with it and have fun with it."
Lakers coach Byron Scott, who will also be making his debut as the coach of his former team during his playing days, is confident that Lin will play well against his former team on Tuesday.
"I expect him to play well," Scott said of Lin. "I expect him to run the offense, handle the ball and do the things Jeremy Lin is capable of doing with knocking down shots, getting into the paint and being the catalyst and leader of the team on the offensive end."
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