体坛英语新闻：Houston Rockets welcome Jeremy Lin back

HOUSTON, July 19 (Xinhua) -- The Houston Rockets' newest icon Jeremy Lin told a crowded welcoming press conference here Thursday that he is excited about playing with the Rockets again and hoped to get better in the new season with the Rockets.

Lin, who became a Rocket after the Knicks refused to match the Rockets' three-year, 25.1-million-dollar deal for him, arrived in Houston on Wednesday for his new career in Houston.

"I'm just excited to be here," Lin told some 150 media personals at the conference. "I think the biggest thing that excites me is the fact that I know what this organization is about."

Lin was speaking on the same practice court at the Toyota Center where he worked briefly with the Rockets' training camp before he was waived last season. Houston waived him because they had already had Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic on their roster at that time.

In contrast to his virtual anonymity seven months ago on the court, Thursday's media gathering was much bigger than that for Scottie Pippen when the former Chicago Bulls star came to Houston.

"It's been an unbelievable ride," Lin said of his return to the Rockets. "Just a lot of things I didn't expect to happen, in terms of just the way last season went."

"I still have to be kind of remind myself that this is all actually happening, sometimes. But it's a huge blessing. I can't believe how it all shaped up and for me to be here right now. I'm definitely excited and thankful," he said.

Lin, who was once quoted by media as saying that he "preferred New York" shortly after the Knicks declined to match the Rockets offer, said he had expected to be re-signed by the Knicks.

At Thursday's conference, Lin explained that his expressing preference for New York was set in the context of before the start of his free agency period.

"Coming into free agency, I didn't expect to be anywhere besides New York," Lin said. "I wouldn't have signed an offer sheet with Houston if I wasn't excited about playing here."

"Houston and New York," he said, "I was definitely excited about the possibility to go to both."

Equally excited about Lin's return to the Rockets were Rockets owner Les Alexander and general manager Daryl Morey who admitted that having Lin back is fixing a mistake the team had made.

When Lin hit a winning 3-pointer in Toronto on Valentine's Day, Alexander reportedly got mad and called Morey to ask him why Lin was no longer a Rocket.

"People are making a lot of us admitting to our mistake," Morey said. "But the only way to get better is to quickly say 'That was a mistake. How can we do better next time?'"

"We are always looking for the best player available. He is obviously the best player available. We wanted him badly," said Alexander, adding that the team is not overpaying Lin with the 25.1-million-dollar contract.

He said he had expected that the Knicks would not match the Rockets offer because of the luxury tax.

While Alexander said the decision to get Lin was "all basketball," he acknowledged that Lin, an American-born player of Chinese descent, could potentially impact on the Rockets' brand in the way that Yao Ming did, increasing the team's reach in Asia.

On the sidelines of Thursday's press conference, Lin said he was grateful to Chinese fans' support to him.

Alexander said that with Lin joining the Rockets, the team surely has new plans to increase the team's influence in the Chinese mainland and Taiwan. "Surely, we always do," he said.

Since earlier this year, Lin, a Harvard-educated guard and the first American-born NBA player of Chinese heritage, has become an international sensation, with his skills, humour and work ethic.

Lin averaged 22.1 points and 9.2 assists, making 47 percent of his shots, in his first 12 starts, keying a seven-game winning streak.