Jeremy Lin Knows He Will Always Have Doubters and Haters

Former Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin went from a no-name couch-surfer to an international superstar overnight. He was on the brink of being waived for the third time in three months before he took the basketball world by storm. So it’s only natural that the phenomenon that became known as Linsanity got to his head.

“If I’m being honest, in some ways, yes,” the Bay Area native told the San Jose Mercury News. “I fought it every day. But I think subconsciously it had its effect, everyone catering to you. People were saying only good things for so long that when people said negative stuff, it was like, ‘Whoa, what’s going on?’ ”

For months it seemed like a forgone conclusion that Lin would re-sign with the Knicks and be their point guard of the future — coach Mike Woodson said Lin would “absolutely” be back. But once Lin put pen to paper on a three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet from the Rockets, which includes a third-year salary of $14.9 million, a certain return to New York was suddenly in doubt. The Knicks elected not to match the poison pill contract. Lin was criticized for signing what Carmelo Anthony called a “ridiculous” contract that put the Knicks in a bind.

“It did kind of hurt,” Lin said of the criticism. “I had to remind myself who I’m living for. Do I fear God or do I fear man? I know my actions, and I know I would change nothing if I could go back.”

Lin has also received flack for not playing in the Knicks’ playoff series against Miami when he said his knee was at 85 percent. Lin clarified his remark in a recent Sports Illustrated interview, saying he was 15 percent shy of the minimum threshold to play. Some see that as him trying to save face.

via Jeremy Lin says that he too was consumed by Linsanity with NY Knicks  – NY Daily News.