Jeremy Lin: Join the Linsanity

Ever heard of this Jeremy Lin guy? Apparently, he can ball.

I attended a Wizards vs. Knicks game not too long ago where I got to witness this rising Linsanity sweeping our nation and others overseas. Settling into my seat, I immediately noticed a player on the Knicks team that looked not too unlike our party of five Asian Americans. I quickly get the low-down: that's Jeremy Lin, point guard for the Knicks, he's the only Asian American in the NBA, he graduated from Harvard, was not drafted out of school, was cut from two teams, and finally joined the Knicks. The coach only recently gave him a chance to play due to a forced hand (injured players). In that game, He scored big and lead a turnaround. That was January 28 this year. From that point on, he was on fire, and both fans and non-fans alike were catching the fever -- me included. I was won over by how much the crowd loved him and by his on-court skills as he and his team dominated my home team with full-speed dribbling, clean shots and even a slam dunk that had the crowd roaring on their feet.

It's always amazing to see classic underdogs go head-to-head with the giants and overcoming. It is even more amazing when I realize what he's doing for Asian America. Many NBA players have back-stories that already do inspire kids to work hard to overcome adversity, but Jeremy Lin is a specific inspiration for Asian Americans looking for a hero. And really, anyone who has ever had "nerdiness" held against them.

If you want to get in on all the Linsanity, too, take a look at some of the cool fan gear selling out at Madison Square Garden and barely meeting demand across athletics stores. You can always browse more Jeremy Lin fan gear on your own, too.



There's at least one other compelling side to all this Linsanity. His rise to stardom has been both thrilling as it has been rapid, but who knew it'd be so punny? It started with "Linsanity" and exploded into names like "Lin-derella" and "Super Lin-tendo," and even a Spirit Airlines promotion for "Linsanely Low Fares!" If you want to hear some ridiculous ones, watch David Letterman's Top Ten of The Worst Jeremy Lin Puns.