by Tom Gallagher
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While some in New York City have their eyes on Rome as Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan is to be elevated to the College of Cardinals on Saturday, the true inspiration this week is the incredible performance of Jeremy Lin, a Taiwanese-American, Harvard University grad and member of the New York Knicks, who has exploded onto the NBA scene with heart-stopping performances.
On Tuesday, he scored a 3-point shot with 0.5 seconds left to beat the Toronto Raptors and stun its fans.
Lin's extraordinary performances over the past weeks include the following:
- 25 points, 7 assists v. New Jersey Nets, Feb. 4
- 28 points, 8 assists v. Utah Jazz, Feb. 6
- 23 points, 10 assists v. Washington Wizards, Feb. 8
- 38 points, 7 assists v. Los Angeles Lakers, Feb. 10
- 20 points, 8 assists v. Minnesota Timberwolves, Feb. 11
- 27 points, 11 assists v. Toronto Raptors, Feb. 14
The New York Knicks have won six in a row with Lin at point guard, including Tuesday night's thriller.
Lin, taking a page from Tim Tebow, is open about being a Christian and is team-oriented. His performances have caused a mad dash to print T-shirts, hats and banners. The jersey he wore in beating the legendary Kobe Bryant and the Lakers is being auctioned off for charity. The term "Linsanity" is being trademarked. The stock price for the Knicks' corporate owner, the Madison Square Garden Co. (NYSE: MSG) has risen 3.8 percent in the past week. Lin is causing a major outpouring of support in the Chinese community in the U.S. and in China, where there are 300 million basketball players.
If you are feeling a bit ho-hum these days, get on the Linsanity bandwagon and hang on for the ride.
