'Pretty Sad': Knicks Ex Jeremy Lin Addresses Aftermath of Linsanity
Jeremy Lin's NBA takeover seemed to end as quickly as it began, the triumphs of "Linsanity" in 2012 giving way to his departure from the New York Knicks, several reserve roles throughout the Association, success in the NBA G League, and his current path in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Lin addressed the aftermath of Linsanity in an interview with The Daily Beast with the HBO release of "38 at the Garden," which analyzes the cultural effects of his run of professional prosperity, looming next week. The film, named for his renowned 38-point performance against a Los Angeles Lakers team led by Kobe Bryant, is said to have avoided Lin's departure from the Knicks, but he rolled back the curtain on certain rumors that took him from New York and toward the Houston Rockets.
A popular theory proposes that Lin moved thanks in part to resentment from Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks star attraction before his breakout. Lin declined to spread further blame on Anthony, but he felt that there were forces beyond the All-Star that wanted him out of Manhattan.
"That’s the theory, and that’s what everyone says, but I can’t feed the speculation train because I don’t actually know," Lin said. "I’m saying this truthfully, that there were multiple points of opposition completely outside of Melo within what was going on."
One of those factors was head coach Mike D'Antoni's resignation, as Lin had previously excelled in his pick-and-roll sets and well-regarded work with point guards. A combination of incoming Mike Woodson's preference for isolation plays and a knee injury brought about the end of Linsanity ... and, indirectly, Lin's Knicks career with it.
"Once D’Antoni resigned, there was already opposition within the organization, whether it was the coaching staff that took over or certain members of the front office.
But there was definitely, from what I’ve heard or gathered in the few years after, it wasn’t all as rosy as people thought it was. I don’t know who to attribute it to, but I know there were multiple points of opposition."
Though both D'Antoni and teammate Amar'e Stoudemire have confirmed that some in the Knicks locker room resented him for his instant rise to fame, Lin nonetheless said he remains "pretty sad" that the Knicks did not bring him back. He remains fond of that magic February night at MSG, an occasion seen by many as one of the Knicks' most triumphant and electric hours in the building in recent memory.
Lin was part of a championship squad during his last NBA season, hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. It was nothing, however, compared to the atmosphere between Seventh and Eighth Avenues with Bryant and the Lakers in town.
"It really was a fairy tale. It was magical. I hate to sound super cliché, but after I hit the corner dagger, it was so loud that I had chills, goosebumps, and I had to look down because I thought I was hovering," Lin recalled. That’s how loud and magical it was. I actually thought, am I levitating right now?
I’ve never experienced something like that. I’ve won an NBA championship and I’ve won some big games, but I haven’t experienced an atmosphere like that before or after. That game was just so special."
"38 at the Garden" will provide a look at the cultural impact Lin's seemingly immortal stretch had and continues to have on the Asian-American community. It will be available to stream on HBO Max on Oct. 11.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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