Jeremy Lin: After Defeat in Miami, New Biography and Volvo Deal Proves there is No Stopping the Linsanity

Jeremy Shu-How Lin didn't receive any athletic scholarships out of high school.  Nor was he drafted into the NBA following graduation from Harvard University in 2010.  Later that year, the Golden State Warriors did offer him a partially guaranteed contract, but Lin seldom played and was waived the following preseason by both the Warriors and the Houston Rockets.

Lin was a free agent sleeping on his brother's couch when he was picked up by the Knicks for the 2011-12 season.  Again he played only sparingly, that is until February 4 when he was promoted to the starting lineup by point guard Baron Davis' injury and suddenly led his team on a winning streak, beginning with their win against the New Jersey Nets.  In subsequent games, Lin averaged 21.4 points and 9.2 assists.  This winning streak has come to be known as Linsanity.

Lin's sudden rise to fame created quite a stir in the media, some of it surprisingly racially tinged.  Lin is the first American of Chinese descent to play in the NBA.  The closest thing the NBA has seen prior to Lin was Yao Ming, a former NBA All-Star and Chinese national who retired last summer.  On February 16, ESPN's MMA Live host Max Bretos used the words "a chink in the armor" when referring to Lin.  Two days later, ESPN editor Anthony Frederico used the same phrase as a headline for a web column after Lin committed 9 turnovers in a Knicks loss against New Orleans.  Bretos received a 30-day suspension from the network and Frederico was fired.  Both issued an apology to Lin, who accepted, saying that he didn't think the remarks were intentional.

On February 23, Linsanity was brought to our doorsteps here in Miami when the Knicks took on the Miami Heat.  Lin, however, struggled against the Heat's LeBron James and the Knicks were toppled 102-88.  Experts are calling the game quite possibly the worst of Lin's remarkable run.  But the setback seems to have done little to quell the excitement over the player, who is popular worldwide.  His jersey is the top selling jersey in the NBA with shipments going to places like Taiwan, where Lin's parents are from, and Hong Kong.  The Asian American community is especially proud of of their Ivy League graduate and are taking more of an interest in basketball games.  Worldwide, the Taiwanese media reportedly refers to Lin as hero or "hao."

Capitalizing on Lin's popularity, Christian media and publishing company Zondervan recently announced their plans to release a biography on the NBA sensation.  The book is titled Linspired and focuses on Lin's unwavering faith before and after his success and popularity.  Lin is also now in talks with Chinese automaker, Volvo, over signing up to endorse the brand overseas.  Volvo believes that tapping into Lin's growing popularity in Asia and China could help boost the brand, which is not as well known as other luxury brands like Audi or Buick.

Looks like Linsanity is here to stay.