Linsanity. The sensation that is sweeping the nation.
Listed at a very generous 6’3″ 200 pounds, Jeremy Lin, a Taiwanese-American, has caught the basketball world by storm. The New York Knicks, NBA’s larger than life franchise, have won seven of their last eight games, and Lin is the reason.
The dude can straight up ball. Not mentioned nearly as often as his six straight 20-point games is the fact that in all of those games, Lin recorded at least seven assists. Not only is he scoring a lot, but he is creating opportunities for his teammates to score as well – the mark of a true point guard.
Gone are the days of point guards just being passers. The NBA has entered the “age of the point guard” where you expected them to not only drop dimes but drop buckets. Think reigning MVP Derrick Rose or $80 million man Russell Westbrook, who both average 22 points a game.
Jeremy Lin is of the same mold. He can score, he can dish and most importantly he gets people to tune in to the NBA’s most prominent franchise. The Knicks have reported that TV ratings in their games have grown 66 percent from last season.
Not wanting to miss out on the hype, I tuned into ESPN to see Lin’s Knicks take on Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. What I saw was almost Tim Tebow-esque: 38 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals. With all the pressure on his shoulders, Lin turned in a “Linstant Classic.”
That performance was good enough to land Lin on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
According to Forbes, Jeremy Lin is the world’s fastest growing athlete brand at $14 million, putting him in a tie with the superstar Bryant.
I want to add to that fourteen mil. by buying a Jeremy Lin jersey of my own. Too bad every Lin jersey and T-shirt is completely sold out for another week.
People have said he is just another flash in the pan, and he can’t stick around. I say, “why can’t he?” He can drive to the hoop and score. His jump shot is coming around, and he can distribute with the best of them. What’s not to love?
Plus he is the hottest ticket for the NBA and the Knicks. Fans bring excitement, and excitement trickles down to the players who want to play better for the fans and for their instantly popular point guard.
