Over the past two weeks, America has gone Linsane in the Membrane. New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin’s meteoric rise to stardom has taken the sports world by storm, as his inspirational story from relative unknown to savior of the Knicks has captivated audiences worldwide. However, if you haven’t heard all of the details of the story, you may have a few questions, and I’m here to answer them for you.

How the hell did this happen?

Lin’s path to NBA stardom was a strange one. Lin starred for Palo Alto High School (CA), leading his team to an upset over nationally ranked Mater Dei for the state championship his senior year, leading to him being named Northern California Division II Player of the Year. His exploits went unnoticed by Division I schools, however, as he wasn’t recruited by a single team. Lin dreamed of playing for his hometown team Stanford, but they were unwilling to offer him a scholarship, instead asking him to walk on. He responded by sending his resume and tapes to the 8 Ivy League schools, and after initially being dismissed as a Division III player by a Harvard coach, eventually was guaranteed a spot on the team there. Lin went on to star at Harvard, having several memorable performances, including scoring 30 points at UCONN and leading his team to an upset of national ranked Boston College his junior season. Despite making the Ivy League First Team unanimously in consecutive seasons, Lin was dismissed again, (Noticing a theme here?) going unselected in the NBA Draft. Lin went on to be signed by the Golden State Warriors, and after spending an unremarkable season in Oakland he was cut. Lin spent time in the Houston Rockets organization earlier this season, and after being cut again, he finally arrived on the Knicks. Incredibly, Lin was on the verge of being cut again. It was only when Baron Davis suffered another injury setback and Carmelo Anthony pressed Coach Mike D’Antoni to get Lin in the game, did the coach decide to give Lin a chance. And he has definitely taken advantage of it.

Why all the hype?

Jeremy Lin had received limited minutes with the Knicks earlier this season, and did not play well. But since his entrance into New York’s February 4th game against the New Jersey Nets, Lin has put up some incredible numbers. His 109 points in his first 4 starts set the record for most scored in a player’s first 4 starts since the 1976-77 season. That means Jeremy Lin has scored more points in that time frame than any player in modern NBA history. More than Durant. More than Iverson. More than LeBron, Kobe and Shaq. More than Bird and Magic. And yes even more than Michael Jordan. Try to wrap your mind around that, because I’m still trying. It’s not just all about scoring when it comes to Jeremy Lin’s game. Perhaps the best part of Lin’s game is his passing ability, with him yet to get less than 7 assists in a game since he started to get significant playing time. He set a career high with 13 assists in a February 15th blowout of the Sacramento Kings. And with his outstanding playmaking abilities, Lin has made his most significant on court accomplishment, bringing the dormant New York Knicks franchise back to life again.

Prior to Lin’s insertion into the Knicks line up, their season was looking like an incredible failure. After the additions of Amar’e Stoudemire, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler over the past 2 seasons, the Knicks seemed like they were poised to return to prominence. That sentiment could not have been more wrong. At 8-15, the Knicks were on the outside looking into the playoffs in the Eastern Conference. Knicks games were marked underwhelming performances, atrocious guard play, and a complete absence of chemistry between their two superstars, Anthony and Stoudemire. For a franchise that hasn’t enjoyed a championship since 1973, Knicks fans are desperate for a winner. This is the situation Jeremy Lin stepped into and he has risen to the challenge. Since he began to get significant minutes, the Knicks have won 7 games in a row, bringing them back to .500 and into the heart of the playoff race. It also can’t be ignored the novelty of Lin’s situation. He’s the only Asian American player in the NBA, and we simply haven’t seen someone that looks like him do the things he’s doing. Floyd Mayweather made national news recently when he tweeted that the only reason Lin is getting this attention is because of his race. And while this was seen as controversial, Mayweather did have a point. Floyd’s only problem was that he was speaking in absolutes. Lin’s spectacular play and more importantly, his winning ways are what is really driving Knicks fans and America Linsane.

Yeah, I get it; it’s an incredible story. But is he for real?

Jeremy Lin has played exceptionally well over these past 2 weeks. But, it’s just been two weeks. 7 games. That’s an exceptionally small sample size. The Knicks have also been lucky to play 6 terrible teams and the Lakers, who were on the second night of a back to back. Lin’s play has been sloppy at times as well, having 6 or more turnovers in 6 of his 7 games. But while these may be issues if they continue, they are overshadowed by his style of play that appears to be NBA ready. If Lin was a streaky shooter and had 7 crazy shooting games in a row, that could be easily dismissed as luck. But Lin has shown an outstanding ability to get to the rim, the most important quality in any effective point guard. He can finish at the rim and drive and pass to open shooters. He has also shown an incredible ability to get to the free throw line, shooting 7 or more free throws in 6 of his 7 games. This makes him a more efficient offensive player. Lin has proven to not be a liability on defense as well, actually contributing to make the Knicks a better defensive team. He’s a smart team defender and has quick hands that disrupt passing lanes. Basketball analysts Tim Legler and Mike Wilbon have compared his style of play to Steve Nash. I think it’s a bit too early to say anything about comparisons yet, but his playing style is definitely one of substance, not just of flash.

What kind of impact will Linsanity have?

There is no doubt Jeremy Lin has tremendous crossover appeal off the court. Madison Square Garden (MSG) stock has risen to all time highs recently, with experts attributing it directly to the buzz of Linsanity. MSG Network’s ratings are higher than even before, too. He’s proven to be quite the commodity for the Knicks. Lin stands to make a pretty penny off of Linsanity as well. As an Asian American athlete, Lin is in the perfect position to pick up Yao Ming’s mantle as most successful Asian NBA star. In fact, Lin may be in a better position to capitalize on his success as he has grown up here, and obviously understands American culture and the language better than Yao ever did. Of course, this is all pending him maintaining a high level of play.

Jeremy Lin’s rise to fame is special because it illustrates why we all love sports so much. Not many other things in life can make you laugh, scream and give you genuine joy like sports do. And when it comes in the form of a great surprise like Jeremy Lin, it just makes the experience that much better. Linsanity could easily end as quickly and as stunningly as it began. But I for one, really, really hope it doesn’t. Because I love amazing, inspirational stories. And because I love sports.

Post written by: Evan Sally