Brendan Dunne 
It’s well known that Nike spends a huge amount of time and money scouting out future NBA stars, locking them down with lucrative contracts that are mutually beneficial for the involved parties. This time around it seems as if a star has simply fallen in their lap, as Jeremy Lin (aka Linsanity, Super Lintendo, Lincredible, etc.) has recently gone from sitting on the bench to galvanizing the New York Knicks and lighting up Kobe in the Garden. No doubt a result of the seismic effects of Linsanity, news hit today of Nike extending Lin’s contract, a move that is rumored to grant the newly minted Knicks star his own PE, possibly in the form of the Nike Zoom Hyperfuse 2011. It’s hard to image Nike not striking while the iron is this hot, and you can be sure that Sneaker News will have the info if the Linsanity movement is indeed crystallized in sneaker form. Until then, let us know in the comments if you think this is a good move for Nike and whether or not Jeremy Lin can keep leading his team with such amazing performances. Also, hit the jump for Nike Basketball‘s official statement on his recent rise.
When your number is called, be ready.
Jeremy Lin might not have been a household name a few weeks ago, but he was still in the gym. Still putting in time to be the best player that he could be because he believed. Through being undrafted and cut, and then sitting on the bench in New York, Lin believed he would get his opportunity to show that he belonged in the NBA. He did get that opportunity and when it arrived, he was ready. Basketball never stopped for Lin, even when the circumstances were not what he had hoped.
While a 6-foot-3 point guard from Harvard isn’t the prototypical NBA player, when you boil it down, what matters isn’t who you are, but what you can do. Thanks to his hard work ethic and commitment to getting better, Lin has proven he can do the things necessary to be an NBA point guard. In the past two weeks, he’s shown he can be the starting point guard for a New York Knicks team that was desperate for stability.
Since Lin has taken over the reins at the one spot, the Knicks have won seven straight games. Lin is averaging 24.4 points and 9 assists per game over those seven victories. He’s getting his teammates -all of them involved and he’s changed the spirit of the team. He’s gone from last man on the bench to playing under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden and his transition has been a smooth one because he was ready. Whether you’re playing under bright lights with the biggest stars in the game or in a dimly-lit gym by yourself, play for the right reasons, train as though you’re training for your big break and when it comes, you’ll be ready.
