Jeremy Lin: Linsanity's Antics with New York Knicks Go Beyond Stats and Analysis

Forget about Jeremy Lin's statistics for a moment, as dazzling and startling as they may be in equal parts.

Forget about the 26.8 points, the 8.5 assists and the 5.2 turnovers. Forget about the fact that he's hitting well over 50 percent of his shots from inside the arc, but only 25 percent from outside, and only 75 percent from the free-throw line.

You can even forget about the fact that the New York Knicks are outscoring their opponents by 9.7 points for every 100 possessions that Lin is on the floor.

The only number that need even enter into your mind when thinking of Linsanity is "six"—the number of games the Knicks have won since Mike D'Antoni so fatefully called the second-year sleeper out of Harvard off the bench and on to the fastest rise to basketball stardom the NBA has ever seen.

Six, the length of New York's winning streak after a thrilling 90-87 victory over the Toronto Raptors, in which Lin nailed the winning three-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Lin can throw a thousand passes out of bounds or send a thousand shots through the hoop, and all that will ever matter is whether the Knicks walk away with a "W" or an "L."

And that's all that will ever matter to Lin, too. What's most remarkable about Lin so far—beyond the numbers and the victories—is how he's handled the hoopla, the hullabaloo, the flood of attention and media scrutiny that's come his way by virtue of the fact that he's breathed life into a long-dysfunctional franchise in the trend-setting capital of the country, if not the world.

That is, with grace and humility, while exuding careful confidence on the court.

There's no telling how long this run will last, if the Knicks have found their point guard of the future or if they've merely caught lightning in a bottle.

There's no telling whether Jeremy Lin will one day have his name mentioned alongside those of other undrafted success stories—John Starks, Avery Johnson, J.J. Barea and Jose Calderon (whom he torched for 27 points and 11 assists on Tuesday), among others—or if he'll wind up on the scrap heap of short-lived stars next to Billy Ray Bates and Flip Murray.

But for basketball fans, whether or not they root for the Knicks doesn't matter, or at least it shouldn't. What matters most is that Linsanity is still alive, that this kid is capturing the hearts, minds and imaginations of millions of people around the world with his ultimate underdog story.

And with the help of a game, of course.

So forget about what Jeremy Lin may or may not do to the Sacramento Kings. Forget about what he may or may not do next week, next month or even next year.

If there's anything Linsanity has taught us all, it's to savor the present, to enjoy a good thing while it lasts.

To remember what a pure and simple love of the game looks and feels like, regardless of what the numbers may say, one way or another.

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