Linsanity Exposed

Are you well versed in New York Linguistics? Perhaps you’re a die-hard Knicks supporter and love the team’s new level of Linergy. Or, maybe you’re simply just a fan of this wonderful Linderella Story.

Whatever the case may be, there is no denying that the Knicks and the city of New York are going through an incredible transformation as we near the midpoint of the NBA season. Jeremy Lin, the second year point guard from Harvard (yes, that Harvard) has enjoyed an unparalleled meteoric rise over these past two weeks.

Forget Tim Tebow or Victor Cruz. If Lin can maintain this level of play, his unexpected ascension trumps both of those examples.

Rarely do non-lottery picks ever yield all-star caliber production. It’s even more infrequent that an undrafted player would ever see anything but a garbage time in-bounds play every now and then, let alone a roster spot. To compound the odds against Jeremy Lin even further, there has not been a single Harvard basketball product since the early 1950s to play in the NBA.

Obstacles, thy name is Linsanity.

Despite every impediment that stood in his way, Jeremy Lin has become a pseudo-savior of basketball in New York. In other words, everything Carmelo Anthony was supposed to be.

Yes, his on-court production in his brief stint has been impressive. In his last 10 games, Lin is averaging almost 20 points to go along with nearly eight assists. His mastery of the pick and roll is evident and he possesses natural court vision.

Despite his emergence as the driving factor behind New York’s recent surge in the standings, Lin’s game is not the most impressive aspect of this story. What is truly amazing, in addition to Lin’s back-story, is his nearly instant elevation from complete obscurity to national phenomenon. Lin’s explosion onto the scene took even less time than it did for Amanda Knox to sign a book deal and the public to realize Danica Patrick isn’t really all that attractive.

Every once in a while, if we are lucky, an athlete comes along whom has the ability to transcend the sport itself. Unexpectedly, a soft-spoken Taiwanese American with an economics degree from Harvard has done just that. This is the truly amazing portion of the story; the angle that inexplicably enamors countless fans.

As public consumers, we want to believe in the inherent “good” that we presume accompanies sports. Jeremy Lin is the epitome of that good and the American dream: a hard working, moral kid who finally got a shot and took full advantage of it.

Lin couldn’t have come along at a better time either. In this era of instant transfer and access of information, millions of people have already familiarized themselves with his story. We caught his game winning shot against the Lakers on our iPhones. We read about his scoring binge all over Twitter. We saw the box score tally up every one of his career high assists against Sacramento online. Lin’s inspiring rise to prominence has already reached the entire country and he’s only been a starter for seven games!

In the blink of an eye, Lin has become a household name and a powerhouse trademark. The kid owns New York. He recently moved from the luxurious domicile that is Landry Fields’ couch to an apartment in Westchester, New York. Lin is scheduled to make roughly $700,000 this season and has been paid an average of $12,000 a game since being inserted into the starting lineup. His jersey sales have spiked in recent weeks and numerous sponsorships and endorsements are undoubtedly the next step in this whirlwind NBA fairy tale.

The modern day standard is that athletes no longer consider themselves just players. The goal is now to become a promoted business conglomerate.

Without ever intending to do so, Lin has leveraged his skills as a basketball player into a recognizable and rapidly growing brand. The public’s infatuation with him has turned his name into a profitable commodity sooner than one might expect a bi-monthly paycheck.

In addition, the Knicks resurgence has had a ripple effect on the New York economy. MSG stock has hit all time highs; local sports bars all around the city have added Lin burgers and egg rolls to the menus. Business, much like the rest of the Knicks season, is pointing up.

But, Lin doesn’t care about the recent numbers or the spot light. He’s just grateful for the opportunity and doesn’t see himself as the team’s leading scorer going forward.

“It’s my job to distribute and get people into a rhythm,” Lin said in his post-game interview after dissecting the Kings for 13 dimes.

 

Now that’s the type of personality the public yearns for. Humility, intelligence and an uncanny ability to find the open man.

What fans love about sports is not necessarily the game itself. Rather, people fall in love with the stories that surround the game. And, doesn’t it feel like this young point guard is the star, the “Lincent Chase”, of his own Hollywood tale?

Brandon Katz | Elite.