Jeremy Lin ESPYs 2012: Win for Breakthrough Athlete Proves Linsanity Rages on
If there was any fear that the cultish enthusiasm surrounding the New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin had come to an end with the conclusion of the 2011-12 season, think again.
The fans have spoken, and they have decreed that Linsanity still endures.
On the heels of his breakout season with the Knicks, Lin was named the 2012 Breakthrough Athlete of the Year at the ESPYs on Wednesday, beating out Anthony Davis, Robert Griffin III, Rob Gronkowski and Alex Morgan for the honor.
Looking at that list of nominees, Lin's victory is all the more impressive and proves that the fans, no matter how fickle they can be, are still behind him.
He beat out Gronk, who made a name for himself during the 2011 NFL season as one of Tom Brady's premiere targets and continues to make a name for himself on The Choice.
He beat out Anthony Davis, whose unibrow is so famous, it's been trademarked.
He beat out the No. 2 overall NFL draft selection and most recent Heisman Trophy winner.
Despite all of their accomplishments, none of them could compare to Lin and what he did for the Knicks this year.
The second-year point guard stepped in as a starter midway through the season and led New York to seven straight wins. Even after the winning streak came to an end, Lin's dominance did not.
He finished the season averaging 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds before his campaign was cut short by a knee injury.
The ESPY win couldn't have come at a better time for Lin, who is a restricted free agent and is waiting for the Knicks to match the offer sheet he signed with the Rockets so that he can stay put in New York. The only problem is that Lin is reportedly irritated that the Knicks don't seem all that thrilled to have him back.
While the Knicks have been eager to sign J.R. Smith, James White and Jason Kidd, they've been slow on the uptake with regards to Lin.
Granted, the Rockets are partly responsible for the delay, since they haven't yet presented the Knicks with their offer sheet, but Lin has felt slighted nonetheless, according to the New York Daily News' Mitch Lawrence, because the Knicks "didn't make the first move."
Now, in addition to his stats from last season, Lin has a bit more leverage in the form of an ESPY.
If there was any doubt that Lin is still capable of igniting the Knicks' fanbase, this should put an end to it. If there was any doubt that Lin still inspires crazed devotion among any and all NBA enthusiasts, that should no longer be a concern.
Linsanity rages on, and now Lin has a trophy to prove it.
