There are some moments in NBA history that fans, no matter what team they follow, will never forget.
Linsanity is one of those moments.
Jeremy Lin wasn't expected to do big things in the NBA. Following four seasons at Harvard, he failed to hear his name called in the 2010 NBA Draft. He went on to sign a partially guaranteed deal with the Warriors but didn't see the court much in his rookie season.
After being waived by both the Warriors and Rockets ahead of his sophomore season, Lin found his way onto a Knicks team in desperate need of another guard. Lin said himself that he was viewed by people as the "12th to 15th guy on the roster," but he became the talk of the sports world early in the season with one of the most remarkable stretches in NBA history.
Put it this way: Lin went from going undrafted and sleeping on couches to being named one of Time's most influential people in the world in less than two years. His ascent is unlike anything we've ever seen before.
Lin's incredible run, better known as Linsanity, is the subject of a new HBO documentary.
When did Linsanity happen and how long did it last?
Linsanity started on Feb. 4, 2012. The end date is up for debate, but Lin was at his best through Feb. 19, 2012, so Linsanity lasted for around two weeks.
Why those dates? Following an 8-15 start to the 2011-12 season, Lin led the Knicks to eight wins over nine games. Seven of those wins came in a row to get the Knicks back up to .500.
That was the best stretch of the season for both Lin and the Knicks.
The best moments from Linsanity
The first of New York's seven straight victories saw Lin come off the bench against the Nets, who were led by three-time All-Star Deron Williams. Lin scored a then career-high 25 points and led the Knicks with seven assists.
Lin said his agent called him before the game and told him it was probably going to be his last in the NBA if he didn't play well.
Two nights later, Lin was moved into New York's starting lineup.
After defeating the Nets, Lin led the Knicks to wins over the Jazz and Wizards. He had memorable moments in both games, earning MVP chants against the Jazz and throwing down his first career dunk against the Wizards.
Next up on New York's schedule was a meeting with Kobe Bryant and the Lakers at Madison Square Garden that was nationally televised on ESPN. Not only did Lin shatter his previous career-high by scoring 38 points in the highly anticipated matchup, but he outscored Bryant, who finished with 34 points on 11-for-29 shooting from the field.
"He played extremely well," Bryant said of Lin after the game. "If that’s the way he’s been playing these last three, four games, he played phenomenal.
"We watched tape on him, came up with a strategy we thought would be effective. [But] knocking down his jump shot, penetrating and getting past our guards into the paint, [it didn’t work]."
Lin had his first tough shooting night a day later against the Timberwolves, but he bounced back against the Raptors on Valentine's Day with 27 points and 11 assists.
Oh, and he hit the game-winning jumper.
The last of New York's seven straight wins saw Lin go for 10 points and 13 assists against the Kings.
Lin struggled with turnovers in the team's loss to the Hornets, but he once again bounced back in a big way, this time with 28 points and a career-best 14 assists against the defending champion Mavericks.
You might remember Lin's late 3-pointer over Dirk Nowitzki that sent Madison Square Garden into a frenzy.
Jeremy Lin's Linsanity stats
Here's what Lin averaged during the nine games he played between Feb. 4 and Feb. 19 of the 2011-12 season:
- 25.0 points per game
- 9.2 assists per game
- 3.8 rebounds per game
- 2.2 steals per game
- 5.9 turnovers per game
- 38.7 minutes per game
- 50.9 percent field goal shooting
- 33.3 percent 3-point shooting
- 70.8 percent free throw shooting
Lin scored 20 points in all but one of those games and recorded four double-doubles.
The 136 points Lin scored in his first five starts combined was the most by any player since the NBA and ABA merged in 1976.
What happened to Jeremy Lin after Linsanity?
Lin finished the 2011-12 season averaging a career-best 14.6 points per game. He signed an offer sheet with the Rockets after the season that the Knicks chose not to match, starting a two-year stint in Houston. Lin then played one season with the Lakers, one season with the Hornets and two seasons with the Nets, the second of which lasted only one game because he suffered a ruptured patella tendon in the team's opener.
Lin split the 2018-19 season with the Hawks and Raptors. He made history at the season's end by becoming the first Asian-American player to win a championship.
In the three years since Lin has played in the CBA and NBA G League.
According to Basketball Reference, Lin made $65.7 million in salaries during his NBA career.
