Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks legend
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NEW YORK, NY - FEBRUARY 10: (L-R) Jeremy Lin #17, Steve Novak #16 and Landry Fields #2 of the New York Knicks celebrate after Lin made a 3-point basket in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden on February 10, 2012 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Chambers/Getty Images)
Maybe you had to be there. But the NBA phenomenon “Linsanity” was such a real, visceral thrill that it is still fresh in the mind, more than a decade on. And today, the man behind it announced his retirement from basketball.
Jeremy Lin, formerly of the New York Knicks, posted the announcement on his social media feeds, calling time on a 15-year professional career that took place on both sides of the Pacific Ocean. The Taiwanese-American guard had extended his career beyond his NBA days by playing in both his homeland and – briefly – in the Chinese Basketball Association, most recently finishing his career in Taiwan, playing alongside his brother Joseph.
Regardless of what he did in the second half of his career, though, his best work came 13 years ago.
What Linsanity Was
The Knicks began the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season terribly. They were limping to an 8-15 start, trying to run a point guard rotation of Toney Douglas, Iman Shumpert, an aged Mike Bibby and an injured and aged Baron Davis, and were going nowhere, slowly.
They needed some fire, some confidence, someone who could actually move an opposing defense around, someone who could make shots, and someone who might add some bite to a toothless team. They just probably did not expect their fourth-string waiver-claim sophomore – who had played only 55 minutes through the Knicks’ first 23 games – to be it.
But he was. And then some. Four games later, after averaging 27.3 points, 8.3 assists and 2.0 steals in four starts – with the Knicks going undefeated during that time – Lin was suddenly the NBA’s Player of the Week, the talk of the town, the first story every night on Sportscenter. His fearlessness, game-winners, underdog nature and pioneering heritage made for a magnetic period of Knicks basketball that transcended regular NBA fandom into the wider cultural zeitgeist. It was fascinating. And it was not just a four-game burst; it went on for the remainder of the season.
If the story does not retell well in print, try some video. It was quite the sight to witness.
Lin Won Over The Entire City
In addition to his time with the Knicks, Lin would also play in the NBA for each of the Houston Rockets, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors, and had spent a modicum of time before his Knicks stint with the Golden State Warriors. He spent some time in the G League, too, ticking all the boxes of an NBA rotation player’s career.
Everyone in the world of basketball knew who Jeremy Lin was, and what he could do. And he did it for far longer than just the Linsanity window.
As the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, and one of the few Asian Americans to have played in the league, Lin was a pioneer as well as a phenomenon. He also because the first Asian American player to win an NBA championship when he won with the Raptors in the 2018-19 season. All the while, Lin would be forced to confront racial stereotyping and prejudice, as well as the pressure of expectation after the novelty of Linsanity died away.
Recognition would follow, in the form of cover appearances on both Sports Illustrated and Time magazines, and Lin was also named to the Time 100 as one of the most influential people in the world. For the true recognition of Lin’s legacy, though, you need look no further than the memories of the New York Knicks fanbase.
For two months, and for two weeks in particular, Jeremy Lin had that city bouncing. His greatness may only have been fleeting, but it was legitimate. Ask anyone who was there. They will gladly tell you.