NBA Rumors: Failing to Invite Jeremy Lin to Rising Stars Game Is Huge Mistake

Perhaps there has never been a faster-rising star in the history of sports than New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin. Despite that, the NBA has made a major blunder in not giving him a special invite to the Rising Stars Challenge.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, commissioner David Stern has said that Lin will not be a late addition to the game, which features the top rookies against the top sophomores. It's fair to say that Lin is currently one of the top sophomores—and overall players in the game for that matter—but the NBA is afraid to go off the beaten path for whatever reason.

The Rising Stars Challenge rosters have some big names like Kyrie Irving, Ricky Rubio, Blake Griffin and John Wall, so there is sure to be some intrigue, but there is nothing present that will make it a spectacle. Pretty much, the only thing fans will be worried about is if Griffin pulls off a highlight-reel dunk.

There is one very easy way to make the game a must-see event, however, and that is by inviting Lin to play. Lin is by far the biggest story in the NBA—and all of sports right now for that matter. He has come out of nowhere and put the Knicks on his back during a six-game winning streak.

In five starts, Lin is averaging 27 points and nearly nine assists per contest. If he were to keep up such lofty averages for the remainder of the season, it wouldn't be a stretch to call him a legitimate MVP contender. Despite that, the NBA doesn't feel the need to get him involved in the Rising Stars Challenge.

It isn't as if the Rising Stars rosters are sacred and can't be tampered with. I understand that putting Lin on the sophomore team will make the sides uneven, but it wouldn't be too difficult to fix that. The league would simply have to invite an additional player to the rookie team to make the sides even at 10.

If Stern doesn't think that including Lin in the game is a good idea, then I really question his business sense. The Rising Stars Challenge has never been viewed as anything more than a filler. If the All-Star Game itself is a joke due to a lack of defense, then the Rising Stars Challenge is an all-out tickle fest.

Linsanity is running wild, though, so no matter how lame the game itself is, people would tune in if Lin were involved. It's a very simple marketing strategy, as Lin would draw fans. Few players have ever captivated the nation in such a quick and profound way, so he is more than deserving of being included.

Instead, it looks like Lin is going to be sitting at home on his brother's now-famous couch, while the other "rising stars" work their magic. Common sense dictates that Lin needs to be in the game, but I guess we shouldn't be too surprised, as it has been apparent that Stern has lacked common sense for quite some time.