The Birth of the Jeremy Lin Saga

The sudden burst of Jeremy Lin onto the basketball world scene as swept the NBA world. Instead of dipping into the true causes of this newfound love for Lin, let's examine the numbers he's put up lately as a Knick:

It all started on February 4, 2012 – not even two weeks from today. The Knicks were pretty much the worst team on the map, next to the Bobcats and the Wizards, losing 11 out of their last 13 games. In New York's match up against New Jersey, Jeremy Lin was finally given some ample playing time, playing for a career-high of 36 minutes while coming off the bench.

The results were just a hush milestone of the sensationalism to come. Lin finished with 25 points, 5 boards and 7 assists, guiding the Knicks to a rare win in what was beginning to be a disappointing season. The numbers were enough, as Iman Shumpert's days as NYK's starter were history.

In the following game, the Knicks faced another struggling team in Utah. Coach D'Antoni gladly put the weight on Lin's shoulders as the team was still without superstars, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony. Now as a starter, Jeremy Lin logged in serious minutes, while putting together another strong performance (28pts, 8 ast) for the Knicks second-straight victory.

New York then traveled down to Washington to win another game behind Lin's play (23pts, 10 ast). The seed of what became 'Linsanity' was still well in the dirt, with the Knicks grabbing three-straight wins over mediocre teams.

But then, it all happened.

The lights and attention were all put forth: Lakers at Knicks, Friday night, full-frontal ESPN coverage. The ambitioned developing story of Jeremy Lin faced its first set of drama with a meeting against Kobe Bryant at MSG. Bryant was able to put 34 points, but it wasn't enough. New York went wild; as Lin rose for some clutch plays in the fourth quarter to sink the Lakers and earn the Knicks their fourth-straight win. Lin closed the night with 38 points, 7 assists and 4 boards.

His performance against the Lakers sparked the entire outcry, expect ESPN to continue beating this story to the pulp regardless of Lin does in the next few weeks. The Knicks have won the following three games after their showdown against the Lakers. Jeremy Lin remains consistent, with turnovers becoming the only blemish.

With a winning-streak on their shoulder and the return of Carmelo Anthony a few hours away, the pulse for Knicks basketball couldn't be any more alive. New York will now head into a match up with the New Orleans Hornets on Friday with both Lin and Stoudemire in the starting line up. Followers of the Knicks will now have the chance to see how these three guys will surface when playing together.

The future is bright in New York. The playoffs are no longer a myth for this franchise. It's not solely because of Jeremy, but his recent play has put all the attention on Knicks basketball – something we haven't done since the 90s. Today, the NBA is alive and well after the lockout, but the story of Lin is one of its brightest moments to date.