The early months of 2012 delivered one of many NBA’s most sudden tales when Jeremy Lin remodeled from an unknown bench participant to a worldwide sensation in a single day.
The Harvard graduate barely made the New York Knicks roster and was struggling to search out his place within the NBA.
What adopted turned generally known as “Linsanity,” a phenomenon that captured consideration far past the basketball court docket.
Former Knicks teammate Carmelo Anthony not too long ago regarded again on that exceptional stretch throughout his podcast “7PM In Brooklyn,” and the dialog revealed Anthony’s want to deliver Lin onto the present.
“F.Y.I. We gon’ get Linsanity on right here. We gon’ let him inform the story,” Anthony mentioned.
Jeremy Lin taking up NYC and the basketball world will NEVER be forgotten 😂
Amar’e: “Each sport the group was going loopy … he stored the wave going.”
Melo: “We gon’ get Linsanity on right here.” pic.twitter.com/yCzV2PkHd9
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn) Could 22, 2025
Talking with former Knicks teammate Amar’e Stoudemire, they shared their reminiscences of witnessing Lin’s meteoric rise firsthand, as he went from sleeping on teammates’ couches to turning into the focus at Madison Sq. Backyard in a matter of weeks.
Lin’s journey represents one of many NBA’s best underdog tales, stuffed with close to misses and unlikely breaks that finally led to stardom.
Earlier than his breakthrough in New York, Lin had been launched by the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets.
The Knicks gave him an opportunity primarily as a result of they wanted gamers throughout a troublesome season marked by accidents and poor efficiency.
Head coach Mike D’Antoni determined to present Lin significant minutes throughout a sport towards the Brooklyn Nets, and the choice paid off instantly as Lin scored 25 factors off the bench, offering a spark the workforce desperately wanted.
However the second that actually launched Linsanity got here towards the Los Angeles Lakers.
With the Backyard buzzing and cameras capturing each second, Lin delivered a efficiency that shocked the basketball world.
He scored 38 factors and dished out seven assists whereas outdueling Kobe Bryant, and that single sport remodeled Lin from curiosity to phenomenon.
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