Meet Jeremy Lin: The Next Superstar American Athlete

In just over a week, former Harvard point guard Jeremy Lin has gone from bench player to American sports superstar. He's done it by putting up huge numbers and helping the New York Knicks win 5 games in a row and put themselves back in the NBA playoff picture. He's become the most talked about athlete in New York City and almost certainly the entire country.

Earlier tonight, against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he became the first player in NBA history to score at least 20 points and dish out at least 7 assists in his first four games as a starter. When you consider how many all-time greats have gone through the league that is absolutely incredible! He's even already proved himself against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers by scoring 38 points on Friday in a 92-85 win in Madison Square Garden.

"Linsanity" is taking the US, Asia, and much of the rest of the world by storm as people everywhere learn about Mr. Lin and his incredible story. In just a few days his Knicks jersey has become one of the most looked-for NBA jerseys in the world. He's the NBA's first American-born Chinese or Taiwanese player who, despite a very good college career, went undrafted out of Harvard and was passed over by several pro scouts, general managers, and coaches.

In a week's time his incredible ball handling, passing, and scoring touch has turned him into a worldwide sensation the likes of which has probably never been seen before. His Twitter account is already nearing the 200,000 mark but he's still sleeping on his brother's couch in Manhattan because he has yet to buy a home in New York. His strong Christian faith and, especially, his "underdog" story is already drawing comparisons to Tim Tebow, an athlete who Lin says inspires him.

Now sports fans are waiting to learn the answer to a very important question: can Jeremy Lin continue to play such amazing basketball when the established Knicks superstarts -- Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, and Baron Davis -- return to play? The team's center Tyson Chandler says he's not too worried about Lin being a fluke, saying this:

"You can tell when a guy isn't really that skilled but is just having a good stretch. This guy is skilled. He's fast. He gives the defense a problem, and he's really crafty at the rim."

We say: This is AWESOME and it's exactly what this shortened, crazy NBA season needed. We hope Jeremy Lin continues his great play and turns into the next Steve Nash. We also hope he soon leaves NYC and brings his skills to a nice West Coast team (Suns anyone??)!

Learn some mo': Whole world taken with Knicks' star Jeremy Lin