Winners and Losers in the Jeremy Lin Cinderella Story

The Jeremy Lin Cinderella story has been well-documented by now, and along the way, there's been several winners and losers.

Lin's obviously been the biggest winner of all, but many other people have benefited from his arrival and the massive impact he's had on a struggling New York Knicks team..

Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers so far in the remarkable story of Jeremy Lin.

Winner: Jeremy Lin

No more trips to the D-League. No more fear of being cut. No more sleeping on couches.

Lin got his opportunity and has taken complete advantage of it. His contract is now guaranteed, and he will be the starting point guard in New York for at least the remainder of the season.

Oh, and there's that becoming a national phenomenon thing as well.

He's living the dream.

Winner: Mike D'Antoni

A little over two weeks ago, D'Antoni's seat was boiling hot, but in the time since then, he found a point guard that can run his offense the way it needs to be run.

Since Lin became a big part of the Knicks offense, New York is 6-0, and not a peep has been mentioned about D'Antoni's job.

Lin saved his coach's job for the time being.

Loser: Carmelo Anthony

This was supposed to be Anthony's team as he carried the Knicks to the promises land.

It didn't quite work that way, as he's struggled in D'Antoni's system and the Knicks struggled as a team.

He has had to sit on the sidelines to watch the Knicks play their best basketball without him.

Now, he has to fit into the system run by Lin and not the other way around. If Melo reverts to holding the ball and slowing down the Knicks offense, all fingers will be pointed directly at him.

Winner: Knicks Fans

It's been nearly 40 years since New York Knicks fans last got to celebrate a championship.

They way things were going this year, Knicks fans were desperate for something to give them hope.

Lin has done far more then that, and New York fans now have their guy they can believe in.

It's not just Knicks fans, but basketball fans in general that Lin has had an impact on. His story has even peaked the interest of non-NBA fans.

His story has been one worth watching. What he's done has been nothing short of amazing, and basketball fans have become a big winner throughout it all.

Winner: Tyson Chandler

In the absence of Amar'e Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, Chandler became Lin's go-to-guy over the Knicks' recent stretch, and he's produced well.

Since Lin's arrival, Chandler has averaged 15 points and nine rebounds per night and has become a bigger part of the Knicks offense.

Loser: Baron Davis

He's gone from the savior to the forgotten man.

For weeks, all we heard was, wait until Baron gets in the lineup.

Now, no one really cares.

He will still be a big parts of the Knicks offense, but it will be as Lin's back-up and not the other way around.

Winner: Amar'e Stoudemire

It hasn't been Stoudemire's best season to date, but he could be primed for a big finish.

Stoudemire excelled in Mike D'Antoni's pick-and-roll system in Phoenix, and now that he has a good pick-and-roll point guard, he could be ready to post some big numbers the rest of the way.

Winner: The NBA

David Stern and the NBA really needs the Knicks to be relevant again, and Lin has been the story the league needs.

Lin means money for the NBA, and at the end of the day, that's what the league wants the most.

An underdog with a Cinderella story like Lin's can be marketed, and Stern is seeing dollar signs.

Loser: Toney Douglas

Douglas had the opportunity to be the Knicks point guard, but struggled so bad that Knicks fans quickly turned on him.

Now, with the emergence of Lin, Douglas and his struggles are buried so deep on the Knicks depth chart that he will likely never be in favor again in New York.

A change of scenery could be in order for Douglas.

Winner: Jersey Sales

In the past 10 days, Lin's jersey has become the NBA's No. 1 selling item, and New York Knicks merchandise sales are also tops in the league since Lin's first start.

If he keeps playing this way, he's going to sell a lot more merchandise, and the league will continue to prosper.

Winner: Iman Shumpert

Lin's emergence has sent Shumpert to the bench, and he's thrived in the role so far.

Prior to Lin, the Knicks bench has given them next to nothing in terms of production, but Shumpert has averaged 13 points per game during Lin's five starts and has brought energy off the bench.

His biggest impact has been on the defensive end of the floor, where D'Antoni has used him as a defensive stopper, averaging 3.2 steals per game.

Loser: The Rest of the NBA

The nation has been captivated by Linsanity, and that's meant he's dominated the headlines.

That also means stars like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and every other big name in the NBA are currently taking a back seat to Lin.

Superstars like their publicity. Unfortunately, as long as Lin keeps going, everyone will continue to take a back seat to him.