‘38 At The Garden’ Short On Trailblazing NBA Player Jeremy Lin Gets New Trailer – Update

Matt Grobar
·4 min read
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UPDATED, 11:37 a.m.: Filmmakers Travon Free and Samir Hernandez of Two Distant Strangers fame have unveiled a new trailer for 38 at the Garden, a documentary project examining the cultural impact of NBA trailblazer Jeremy Lin and the cultural phenomenon known as “Linsanity” that surrounded him during his 2011-12 season with the New York Knicks.

Watch the trailer above. Read more about the short below.

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PREVIOUS, APRIL 19: Travon Free and Samir Hernandez, the writer-director and EP behind last year’s Best Live-Action Short Oscar winner Two Distant Strangers, today unveiled 38 at the Garden, a new documentary project examining the cultural impact of NBA trailblazer Jeremy Lin and the cultural phenomenon known as “Linsanity” that surrounded him during his 2011-12 season with the New York Knicks.

The short from director Frank Chi revisits the athlete’s unlikely story 10 years down the line, in a hostile time for Asian Americans, examining how it both gave hope and shattered stereotypes on sports’ biggest stage. It will debut within the Keeping It Real section of the Tribeca Film Festival’s Shorts Program at BMCC Tribeca Arts Center on June 12.

. - Credit: GTG Entertainment/Mr. Farenheit
. - Credit: GTG Entertainment/Mr. Farenheit

GTG Entertainment/Mr. Farenheit

38 at the Garden is the first production Hernandez’s GTG Entertainment and Free’s Mr. Farenheit banner. Chi, Free and Hernandez produced the pic featuring interviews with Lin and fellow pro basketball players Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert, journalists including Lisa Ling and Pablo Torre, and the comedians Hasan Minhaj, Jenny Yang and Ronnie Chieng.

“On February 10, 2012, in the middle of a miraculous two week stretch of basketball, the whole world watched as an undrafted point guard from Harvard University broke cultural barriers, played the game at the most elite level, and inspired fans and nonfans alike,” said Hernandez. “38 AT THE GARDEN tells the story of Jeremy’s ascent from anonymity to global superstardom and the cultural significance that he had and it continues to have for both Asian Americans and Asians globally.”

“Making this film has been such a joy for me because Jeremy’s ‘Linsanity’ run is hands-down my favorite memory as an Asian American. To revisit that run today – during the worst time to be Asian American in recent memory – is much more important than a 10-year anniversary,” said Chi. “I hope 38 AT THE GARDEN can remind us of what we can achieve at the highest level despite what everyone else thinks is impossible. I hope it can also answer questions about why anti-Asian violence and stereotypes exist and humanize the Asian American experience for everyone who takes the time to watch.”

“People like myself and and Frank are hyper aware of moments in our lives that feel impossible. For many Black Americans it was the election of Barack Obama and for many Asian Americans it was watching Jeremy Lin’s take no prisoners assault on every opponent he faced at the most pivotal time in his NBA career,” said Free. “So when we realized we were coming up on ten years since Linsanity, along with the tumultuous landscape Asian Americans find themselves navigating today, it was a no-brainer for us to tell this story now.”

“I’m really humbled that my story and journey has resonated and touched so many,” added Lin. “Throughout that period of time in my life and since, there has always been an underlying narrative about race, and my hope is that this documentary challenges Asian American stereotypes and can serve as a continued source of pride and inspiration, especially during an unprecedented rise of Asian-American hate and injustice.”

Lin is a Taiwanese-American point guard who also played for NBA teams including the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Charlotte Hornets, the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto Raptors before signing with the Chinese Basketball Association’s Beijing Ducks in 2019. The All-Star athlete was the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, the first to win an NBA championship (with the Raptors in 2019), and one of the few Asian Americans to have ever played in the league.

Check out the trailer for 38 at the Garden above.

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