Is New York’s Jeremy Lin the real deal?
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After his 38-point performance against the Lakers on Friday night, it would be hard to convince any New Yorker that Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin isn’t a budding NBA star.
Lin was practically a one-man highlight show against the Lakers, burning Kobe Bryant & Co. with fancy spin moves in the paint and pinpoint perimeter shooting.
It was quite the breakout performance for a player who a little more than a week ago was a relative unknown among most NBA fans.
Until Lin saw the first significant playing time of his career in a 25-point effort against New Jersey on Feb. 4, he was just another NBA bench warmer -- a guy used more as a general manager’s roster play chip than a bona fide contributor on the floor. Even the Lakers looked into the possibility of acquiring Lin for a reserve role at the start of the season.
But can Lin keep this up? A lot of upset Lakers fans would like to think he can’t, but ‘Lin-sanity’ has certainly affected the Knicks’ courtside contingent. Here’s what filmmaker and longtime Knicks fan Spike Lee tweeted after the game:
‘Jeremy ‘Kobe Wuz Smokin’ But I Wasn’t Joke-’Lin. Tonight Was NO FLUKE. I Seen It Wit’ My Own 4 EYES. JLin Is LEGIT.NBA DEAL WITH IT.’
Usually a player has made it when he has his own celebrity trash talker but what do you think? Is Lin a here-today-gone-tomorrow talent carried by Tim Tebow-like sensationalism or is he poised to become one of the biggest surprises of the season?
ALSO:
Lakers vs. Knicks photo gallery
Jeremy Lin was there for the taking
Lakers’ 92-85 loss to Knicks is highly Lin-plausible
-- Austin Knoblauch
