In a race, Jeremy Lin would beat Yao Ming cause Lin is faster. However, if you played one on one, Yao would not be stopped.
Lin is more inspirational to aspirational asian basketball players because not everyone is 7ft6 built with oak tree legs, a lot more 6'3 asians who are speedy and obviously seeing Lin succeed in the NBA perhaps proves to them that they too can achieve such things with hard work and dedication, thus they crap on harden and mchale LOLOL