• Fri. Mar 29th, 2024

Believe In Lin

ByVernon McKenzie

Feb 12, 2012

Lin Has Made Believers Out of Everyone

Knicks Guard on the Verge of Making Everyone Better, Too!

NEW YORK – It’s been a whirlwind the past seven days for New York.  First- the New York Giants won their organization’s fourth Super Bowl Championship with a stunning 21-17 victory over the New England Patriots and was feted with a ticker tape parade down Broadway in lower Manhattan.  Then out of the NBA ashes of obscurity, an Asian American point guard by the name of Jeremy Lin was inserted into the starting line up (against the Utah Jazz) after coming off the bench scoring 25 points against the New Jersey Nets.  Both of those games were won by the Knicks, Lin inspired the win.  Or should it be said, “Lin-spired”?

The sports world at large has virtually been turned on its ear by the way Lin is playing.  It’s almost Tim-Tebow-like with the exception that Lin is dominating his position throughout the entire game whereas Tebow was getting hot in the 4th quarter after playing poorly in the first three.  They are both devout believers of Jesus Christ and, although they do not push religion upon anyone, they make no qualms about who they believe in and they both give thanks and credit to Jesus and God after performances.

The praise and flowers are coming in left and right for Lin, from Kobe Bryant who a day earlier up in Boston said he really hadn’t heard much about Lin and or what he was doing.  But, after his Los Angeles Lakers loss 92-85 against Lin’s Knicks, he said, “people don’t just come out of nowhere to do what he’s doing.”  Kobe continued with, “if you look back and do some history on him you will see he had skills that just went unnoticed.”

Magic Johnson gushed on the nationally broadcast Lakers vs Knicks game at halftime when Lin had 18 points and 5 assists, that Lin was the real deal.  Magic compared Lin not only to Steve Nash but also to Hall of Famer John Stockton.  Jon Barry who is ever so critical of most anyone in the NBA was also sold on the Legend of Lin.

It’s a good time to be a Knick now.  Yes, it is still early and a lot of things can happen,  but this time last week, jobs were on the line, including Lin’s who reportedly was on the verge of being waived in favor of veteran Mike James.  The organization has been without Carmelo Anthony (who suffered a groin pull against the Jazz) and Amar’e Stoudemire who tragically lost his older brother to a car accident.

It’s almost as if there’s a new sheriff in town for the Knicks.  But the great thing about this sheriff is that he’s a passing point guard.  And he’s a selfless human being who is willing to share and make others better.  Stoudemire will buy in because this is what he played with in Phoenix and Nash.  The burning question will be if Melo will or has bought in.  Melo by all accounts isn’t a selfish player.  But his style of play isn’t exactly how Coach Mike D’Antoni plays.  An adjustment will have to be made.  No, not the adjustment of this-is-Lin’s-team, but if those two stars would allow Lin to control the offense as he’s done, they will realize that their 20 points will come to them even in their sleep.

Should be a fun journey if all continue to play nice in the sandbox.  The world is watching.

Jerald L. Hoover

By Vernon McKenzie

Graduate of New Institute Of Technology with a BA in Communications with a focus on Television Radio. Owner and Executive Producer of PureSportsNY

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