With apologies to Tim Tebow, there has been no better sports story in recent months—maybe years—than the emergence of Jeremy Lin.
The undrafted and twice-waived point guard’s overnight transformation from bench warmer to folk hero has given a previously moribund New York Knicks franchise a transfusion of energy and excitement not even Spike Lee could have envisioned when injuries and lackluster play forced head coach Mike D’Antoni to put the Harvard grad into the starting lineup earlier this month.
The phenomenon dubbed “Lin-sanity” has the Knicks realistically thinking about the playoffs while D’Antoni seemingly has secured a measure of job security that was unthinkable as recently as when the ball dropped in Times Square.
The lack of a penetrating point guard who could both dish and swish like Steve Nash did for D’Antoni in Phoenix was the most noticeable flaw in the makeup of a Knick lineup that prior to Lin’s insertion relied mostly on its inconsistent perimeter shooting.
Enter Lin, who by forcing opposition defenses to respect his abilities to drive to the hoop, shoot from the outside or find an open teammate, has expanded the New York offense like a flower in bloom. The result: eight wins in the team’s last nine games.
Lin’s spot on the Knicks roster was in grave jeopardy—so much so that he refrained from leasing his own apartment in Manhattan, choosing instead to bunk with his brother, a dental-school student.
The veteran Baron Davis was originally brought in to be New York’s answer at point guard once he was able to return from a herniated disc. Now Davis, who has yet to play for the Knicks, will be lucky to get 10-15 minutes a night with Lin leading the offense.
Lin’s inspirational story continues to be written on almost a daily basis. In the latest chapter, his 28 points and career-high 14 assists Sunday led the Knicks to a nationally televised comeback victory over the Dallas Mavericks, ending the reigning champs’ six-game winning streak.
The good vibes generated by Lin’s play have thankfully overshadowed some random acts of insensitivity and outright racism related to the young man’s heritage as the first American player in the NBA to be of Chinese or Taiwanese descent.
First there was MSG Network’s inane decision to air a fan’s sign containing an image of Lin’s face over a broken fortune cookie with the words: “The Knicks Good Fortune.” (MSG is owned by Cablevision, the parent company of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden.)
Then some now-unemployed moron at ESPN thought it clever to send out the headline “Chink In The Armor” to accompany a story on mobile devices detailing the team’s first loss with Lin in the starting lineup.
It is impossible not to root for Lin. His enthusiasm and poise on and off the court has Knick players, coaches and fans believing that only good things lie ahead. And the execs at the league office must be in their glory now that their franchise in the No. 1 media market is generating positive buzz for the first time in years, led by an unsung hero whose ethnicity also enhances the NBA’s already formidable global brand.
Mere months ago it appeared labor strife would wipe out the 2011-12 NBA season. Now the league is grabbing the biggest headlines on the sports pages, thanks in large part to a 23-year-old kid who not long ago was a roster move away from being jobless. How great is that.
