Jeremy Lin takes New York by storm – front page of USA Today

AsianPlayers | February 8, 2012 | Basketball | No Comments

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“Linsanity” is the word in New York with what undrafted, Harvard-educated, former Development League guard Jeremy Lin — the NBA‘s first American-born Chinese or Taiwanese player — is doing to spark the Knicks.

The Knicks’ Jeremy Lin had 25 points off the bench in a win over the Nets, then came back with a career-high 28 against the Jazz in his first NBA start. In his last two games, with more minutes (81) than he had in his previous nine games combined (55), Lin has rescued a team that went 2-11 before victories vs. theNew Jersey Nets and Utah Jazz. He had a career-high 25 points off the bench vs. the Nets, then topped it with 28 points vs. the Jazz in his first NBA start.

With injuries to Carmelo Anthony— the latest a strained right groin that will sideline the All-Star forward up to two weeks — and the absence of forward Amar’e Stoudemireafter the death of a brother, Coach Mike D’Antoni was not left with many options.

“I’m riding him like freakin’ Secretariat,” D’Antoni said.

Lin, dubbed “the new Tim Tebow” by no less than The Wall Street Journal, was hot on social media. Twitter mentions in the past week have gone from 700 to more than 53,000.

NBA scouts took note of him in the 2010 Las Vegas summer league. But in 29 games as a rookie last season for the Golden State Warriors, Lin averaged 2.6 points in 9.8 minutes.

“There just wasn’t an opportunity. … Every player has to develop,” said his agent, Roger Montgomery.

Harvard coach, Tommy Amaker, says D’Antoni’s pick-and-roll, space-the-floor system suits Lin: “He’s a hard-charging, passionate, aggressive player. He’s very deceptive in his gears, in his athleticism, and people are seeing that he’s a playmaker.”

Lin, 23, is the 42nd Ivy Leaguer to play in the NBA, although he downplays his smarts. “That’s a stereotype. David Lee (a former Warriors teammate) … always calls me the dumbest smart guy he knows.”

But not so dumb to make any large purchases, such as his own place to live. “The minute as athletes you get complacent, that’s when trouble comes,” Lin said.

via Jeremy Lin takes New York by storm.