Every now and then, an international player storms into the NBA and sends shockwaves through the league. From the towering dominance of Yao Ming to the finesse of Manu Ginóbili, or the more recent rise of stars like Luka Dončić and Victor Wembanyama, these global hoopers leave an unforgettable mark.
But for the New York Knicks, one of the most unexpected and electrifying runs came from a benchwarmer-turned-icon: Jeremy Lin. His stretch of brilliance, now famously known as “Linsanity,” is once again being talked about, this time, by the very Knicks legends who witnessed it.
Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire Remember “Linsanity”
In the latest episode of “7 PM in Brooklyn with Carmelo Anthony”, the former Knicks star was joined by Amar’e Stoudemire as they looked back at the chaos, energy, and cultural wave that Lin brought to the Garden.
As the Knicks battle the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the nostalgia of Linsanity hits hard. The former teammates couldn’t help but revisit that electric 2011-2012 season, when Lin came out of nowhere and owned the biggest stage in basketball.
Stoudemire, who missed most of Lin’s legendary few-game stretch due to the passing of his brother, shared a unique perspective. Despite being sidelined, he witnessed the city transform.
Jeremy Lin taking over NYC and the basketball world will NEVER be forgotten 😂
Amar'e: "Every game the crowd was going crazy … he kept the wave going."
Melo: "We gon' get Linsanity on here." pic.twitter.com/yCzV2PkHd9
— 7PM in Brooklyn (@7PMinBrooklyn)
“When Jeremy Lin got a chance to play, no one knew who he was,” Stoudemire said. “There was no scouting report. You know, after each game, you get like a scouting report of the team and other players, and there was no scouting report for Jeremy Lin… So when there’s no scouting report, you cannot figure them out. You don’t know how to play him, and so he took advantage of it.”
“For those two games that I missed, he was scoring like 30 points, 35 points. And then it really hit when he played the Lakers against Kobe. He had 35 or something against Kobe… Like what the h**l’s going on? And I’m in Florida. I’m down. I’m at the crib and I’m watching the games and I’m like what the? So when I get in New York, I see the whole city is in the uproar. I’m like, what’s going on, man? I’ve been seeing so many Jeremy Lin jerseys. I’m like what?” said Stoudemire during the podcast.
Moreover, Stoudemire didn’t stop there. He even explained the uproar that erupted in arenas during Lin’s games, describing the surreal energy that followed the guard wherever he played.
“In every game, it was like the crowd was going crazy and Linsanity happened. And then from that point on, he kept the wave going. Four nights, four nights, another five-game stretch,” added Stoudemire.
Anthony joined in, saying that during many of Lin’s games, the first three rows were packed with Taiwanese fans.
“It got real… Them Taipei fans, them Taiwanese fans. They was pulling up. It wasn’t no celebrity row. It was all Taiwanese and all Asia. Like it was all the first three rows around the court… I was in the back saying what the f*** is going on?” added Anthony.
Lin, then a little-known bench player, got his chance only because the Knicks were injury-ridden. With players like Anthony out due to a hamstring injury, Lin was thrown into the rotation out of desperation. But what followed was pure magic.
From February 4 to February 20, Lin torched opposing teams, scoring 20 or more points in nine of ten games and leading the Knicks to an 8-2 record during that span. The madness peaked when he dropped 38 points against none other than Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a packed Madison Square Garden.
That season, Lin appeared in 35 games, averaging 14.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. While his role eventually shifted when both Anthony and Stoudemire returned to the lineup, Lin continued to start—until a torn meniscus abruptly ended his season and kept him out of the playoffs.
Almost 15 years later, Lin is still playing the game he loves. He is playing basketball with the New Taipei Kings in Taiwan. Far from the spotlight of Madison Square Garden, but never forgotten by those who watched him turn New York upside down for a few unforgettable weeks.
