Knicks' Lin captivates the basketball world

Linsanity. Over the past
11 days a superstar has
exploded onto the sports
scene. Harvard educated,
Asian-American, humble
yet flashy, Jeremy Lin is a
true Cinderella, or "Linderella",
story. In a year
where the NBA season was
shortened due to a lockout,
we are constantly reminded
that professional
sports is a money driven
business, but it only takes
one player to show that
pure love of the game can
lift and inspire the largest
market in sports.
In this circumstance,
the one is followed by a
seven, as an orange number
17 sewn into the front
of a bright blue New York
Knicks jersey hangs on the
chest of the six-foot-three,
200-pound Jeremy Lin.
Smiling and backpedaling
on defense after making
a shot with his tongue
half out of his mouth, Lin
is soaking it all in. He is
the center of attention, the
beneficiary of playing under
the lights of New York
and excelling at a time
when the Super Bowl has
just concluded and NCAA
March Madness has not
yet begun, a small window
of time where a spark
such as the one provided
by the 23-year old can captivate
the sports and media
universe.
In the past six games, Lin
has gone from the last player
on the Knicks bench to starting
point guard, compiling
more points than any player
in NBA history in his first
five starts. At one point a noname
player with a Harvard
degree in the NBA Developmental
League, also known
as the D-League, Lin is now
a household name not just
in New York but also across
the country.
Lin's story is one of
perseverance, an uncanny
combination of hard work,
passion and a love for the
sport that have enabled Lin
to succeed at such a high
level, proving that dreams
can become a reality. A
pass-first point guard who
can score and push the ball
while making educated decisions
in the open court is
exactly what is needed for
Knicks' head coach Mike
D'Antoni's offensive system
to work effectively. Lin
brings the necessary qualities
to the table.
He has scored at least 20
points in each of the last six
games, adding at least seven
assists in each game as
well. Lin's exceptional play
is a blend of unbelievable
basketball IQ and unparalleled
effort and energy,
a unique combination that
has allowed a player who
is just athletic enough to
compete at the professional
level to become a prolific
point guard and the center
of stardom in just over a
week's time.
We have all heard the
underdog story over and
over again, yet Lin's is still
compelling. Undrafted out
of college, Lin signed with the Golden State Warriors,
who took a chance in signing
him but never really
gave him a shot on the basketball
court.
Lin averaged 10 minutes
a game with the Warriors
last year, but he was
cut and passed over by all
teams except the Houston
Rockets, who demoted Lin
to the D-League before cutting
him as well. Finally,
when the Knicks' rookie
point guard Iman Shumpert
hurt his knee in the
first week of the season,
they needed to add a point
guard to the roster and
turned to Lin.
Moving to New York
and sharing time living
on the pull-out couch of
his brother's apartment
- Lin's brother is a dental
student at New York
University - and spending
nights on the couch of
teammate Landry Fields,
Lin maintained focus and
knew he would be ready
if an opportunity came his
way.After weeks of garbage
minutes at the end of
games, Lin's time to shine
finally came against the
New Jersey Nets, on the
night of Feb. 4, 2012. Going
off for 25 points, seven assists
and five rebounds, Lin
led the Knicks to a victory
in a must-win game, igniting
a streak that would
soon be coined as "Linsanity",
without even knowing
it. Over the ensuing five
games, Lin has put up unequivocal
scoring numbers
and led the Knicks to six
straight victories.
With the media drooling
over Lin's battle
against adversity, the
starting point guard of the
New York Knickerbockers
combines an 'I can't believe
this is happening to
me,' happy-go-lucky attitude
with a specific swagger
and demeanor on the
court, making way for a
superstar to be embraced
by the sports universe.
Tallying scoring numbers
that have been compared
to all-time greats in
their first five starts, we
will have to wait and see
if Lin will be able to keep
up the level of play he has
been competing at. There
are many questions that
have yet to be answered,
such as if a player from a
school that has produced
twice as many United
States presidents as NBA
players, can emerge as a
perennial star.
For now, Lin is enjoying
the hype and looking
forward to each game,
not taking anything for
granted. He has handled
all the pressure thrown
his way so far and doesn't
seem to be rattled easily
by media attention. He
has captivated America
by showing that dreams
can become a reality.
Lin's play on the court
has been so exceptional
it is difficult to compare
him to anybody right now,
but more than anything,
watching Lin constantly
reminds us that nothing is
Linpossible.