The Lincredible, Linspirational, and Eventually Linterrupted Story of Jeremy Lin’s Breakout Season

Books have already been written about the phenomenon of Jeremy Lin ’10, and movies are certainly just around the corner. But a Harvard man like Lin also deserves representation in the highest form of entertainment: theater. Therefore, we at The Back Page have put together a quick synopsis of what Lin’s season would look like in the form of a five-part play, with just enough bad puns based off the protagonist’s name to make you sick.

Part 1: StruggLin to find a team

It’s hard to believe now, but six months ago Lin was an unknown benchwarmer who didn’t have a team to call his own. After being cut by the Warriors and Rockets in quick succession, the Harvard grad was jobless. But just because Lin was unemployed doesn’t mean he was Linactive. Despite the hard times, Lin continued to work hard day Lin and day out, hoping for an opportunity to prove himself. Eventually, the phone rang.

Part 2: The New York Knicks, Lincorporated

Two days after Christmas, Lin got his wish. He finally got a call. The Knicks were Linterested in his talents. But things didn’t start out swimmingly—Lin joined the squad as one of the lowest members on the depth chart and played like it early on. Three weeks later, Lin was sent to the Development League due to his Linadequacy in New York. Lin popped right back to New York six days later though, thanks in large point to a triple-double performance in the D-League. When Baron Davis suffered a setback as he attempted to recover from injury, Lin moved up in the pecking order and eventually got his shot.

Part 3: The Linderella Ball

On what would have been just another Saturday night, Lin got significant playing time against the Nets and made the best of it. Playing against All-Star Deron Williams, the N.Y. guard posted 25 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, earning a spot in the starting lineup in the process. He only turned his game up from there. After netting 28 points in his following game and then tallying his first career double-double, Lin took on the vaunted Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night’s national TV. He proved he was for real by leading the Knicks to a 92-85 victory, scoring 38 points in the process, four more than Kobe Bryant, one of the NBA’s top scorers. Linsanity reached its peak on none other than ValeLINtine’s day, when he hit a game-winning shot to top the Toronto Raptors. Lin was officially a superstar, making appearances on back-to-back Sports Illustrated covers and garnering attention around the world. It wouldn’t last though, as he would soon find out.

Part 4: Linsolvency

Lin captured one more win to push his winning streak as a starter to six, only to fall shortly after to the lowly New Orleans Hornets. In that game, Lin committed a Linadmissable nine turnovers, pushing his total in just over a week to 45, more than any other player had ever committed in their first seven starts. The next week was up and down as Lin and the Knicks defeated the reigning champion Mavericks, but also lost to the New Jersey Nets and Miami Heat. During the stretch, Lin had to deal with adversity he could never have prepared for as a benchwarmer. He became the most talked about athlete in the world and the center of a constant drama. When Carmelo Anthony came back from injury on Feb 20, pundits pitted the All-Star against the new star, saying they couldn’t coexist. The duo proved the doubters right as the Knicks sputtered, going 2-8 and eventually costing the job of head coach Mike D’Antoni—the man who gave Lin a shot and who had created a system that helped Lin thrive.

Part 5: The Linjury

After the remarkable rise and rapid fall, the story of Linsanity came to a screeching halt at the end of March as the protagonist of the mythic tale tore his knee’s miniscus. The injury required surgery and will necessitate a minimum of six-weeks of rehabilitation. But this isn’t the end of the story. Far from it. Lin should make a full recovery and make a powerful impact next year, but maybe not for the Knicks. Lin will become a free agent at the end of this season though most experts expect him to resign with the Knicks.  Even if Lin doesn’t come back and perform at the level he did in February, his rise will still represent one of the most remarkable stories in sports history.

Lin Fin