Like Tim Tebow, Jeremy Lin took the sporting world by storm. Countless nicknames such as Linsanity, Linderella, Super Lintendo, and Are you Linning, graced basketball headlines for weeks on end. Now it looks like the best story of the NBA has ran its course and is officially over. Jeremy Lin will be out up to 6 weeks after having surgery on his right knee. Lin had an MRI done on his knee and it revealed a small, chronic meniscus tear.
With the regular season ending April 26, the biggest story in basketball this season and possibly the sporting world this year is probably done regardless of whether the Knicks make the playoffs. Just back in February, Lin was barely holding on to a place in the NBA, now after the back to back Sports Illustrated covers, and popularity around the world, he has to go back to the bench when he wants to play most.
The Knicks will look to veteran guards Baron Davis and Mike Bibby for an offensive push in place of Lin. Before the injury Lin was averaging 14.1 points and 6.1 assists, but the numbers tell only a small part of the story. The Knicks were under .500 and were destined for last place in the NBA when Lin was given a chance to play extended minutes at point guard for then-coach Mike D’Antoni.
Lin, the first American-born player of Taiwanese or Chinese descent to play in the NBA, scored 25 points with seven assists in his first game off the bench against New Jersey on Feb 4th. He then was inserted into the starting lineup two days later against Utah, and took the Knicks on a seven-game winning streak that gained worldwide attention.
Lin left the Knicks’ easy victory over Detroit last Saturday, saying afterward he could have returned for the fourth, if the game had been close. He took part in the pregame warm-up before their game Monday and believed he could deal with the pain, but didn’t play. Though the swelling went down, the pain didn’t stop, and after testing the knee again Friday and Saturday, Lin decided to go under the knife.
Lin isn’t the only one playing with a nagging injury on the Knicks. In addition to Lin, Amare Stoudemire will be out 2-4 weeks with a back injury. Jared Jefferies is playing through a knee injury, Carmelo Anthony, and Tyson Chandler are both playing through groin injuries, while Baron Davis is playing through a hamstring injury.
Lin will be a restricted free agent this offseason and one can only think he will be getting huge money for his breakthrough season and helping the Knicks to get out of their slump from earlier in the season. Commissioner David Stern said he had never seen so much interest created by one player in such a short period of time. Knicks games were apparently picked up by TV stations in basketball-crazed Asia, and Lin actually had to plead for Privacy for his family in Taiwan.
How big will Jeremy Lin be next season? Will the linsanity era continue in New York? Will he be able to come back and lead the Knicks to an NBA Championship if they make the playoffs this season? Who knows!
That’s all for now folks! I wanted to give a big shout out to my friend Jenny! She’s a big Jeremy Lin fan, and also it’s her birthday today! So Happy Birthday!!! Everyone, you know the drill, follow me on twitter @KevinCawthra, until next time,
YOU STAY CLASSY VANCOUVER!!
Follow Channels and Categories