Jeremy Lin’s improbable story of perseverance has captivated basketball fans and non-fans alike.
Lin, a New York Knicks point guard, went on a tear this week, scoring 38 points against Kobe Bryant the Los Angeles Lakers, and 20 points in a come-from-behind 100-98 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 11.
Lin hit a key free throw with 4.9 seconds left to lift the Knicks to their five-straight victory.
Here’s a look at the top ten Jeremy Lin puns of the week:
1) Linsanity? Try Linfatuation.
Newsday reporter Laura Albanese opened her Feb. 11 report on Lin-fever with a few crafty puns. According to her article, the symptoms have hit quickly and decisively.
Albanese writes that Knick fans have “renewed faith in their chances, blue-and-orange themed spending sprees, and, of course, that driving desire to inject Lin’s name into pretty much everything.”
2) Jeremy Performs Magic in Or-Lin-Do
I can’t wait until March 28 when the Knicks host the Orlando Magic in what will likely be a pivotal Eastern Conference clash to open the stretch run of this lockout-shortened season. Will Lin be a one-week wonder or can he continue his meteoric rise to the top of the NBA ranks?
3) All He Do Is Lin, Lin, Lin
“All I Do Is Win” is the two-year-old single by DJ Khaled, featuring T-Pain, Ludacris, Snoop Dogg and Rick Ross. In 2011, the song received a remix treatment inspired by Tim Tebow’s underdog story. This week, the phrase “All He Do Is Lin, Lin, Lin” was seen on t-shirts in and around Madison Square Garden.
4) Lin-ing Isn’t Everything, It’s the Only Thing
Jeremy Lin was cut by the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors before finding his way to the Knicks. He tallied 20 points or more in each of his five starts for the Knicks and fans have been showering him with “MVP” chants every time he hits the floor.
5) Timberwolves Struggle In Lin-esota
Lin wasn’t at his best in the second half of the Feb. 11 contest against Minnesota, but his game-clinching free throw earned his team a gutsy 100-98 victory. He scored 15 of his 20 in the first half.
6) Sweet As a Lin-zer Tart
Lin has been absolutely on fire since Feb. 4, as he tallied 25 points against the New Jersey Nets, 28 against the Utah Jazz, 23 in a contest against the Washington Wizards, 38 against the Los Angeles Lakers, and 20 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
7) Lin Diesel
Athensreport.com posted a list of the 50 best Jeremy Lin puns, and “Lin Diesel” was perhaps the most clever of the bunch. Some of the other top picks are “Lin-sane in the Membrane, Lincredible and Next of Lin.”
8) The Missing Lin-k
This one is fun because it goes along with the concept that Lin was the missing piece to the puzzle to the Knicks offense. Head coach Mike D’Antoni desperately needed a point guard who could run the plays effectively and fill in where Chauncey Billups left off. Lin’s performance perhaps saved D’Antoni’s job and the Knicks season.
9) Lin-ing
On Feb. 11, Lin tweeted (@jlin7) “Gutsy win…5 in a row! This team is so unselfish and has so much heart. Love playing with them! God is good!”
Lin’s play has the Knicks on a five-game win streak, but it’s doubtful he’ll be able to keep up his recent pace. The Knicks have been riding his hot hand, as he’s been getting the same amount of shots that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant usually get in a game. If the Knicks want to keep Lin-ing, they’ll need the rest of the team to step up.
10) Lin-tensity
According to a Yahoo! Sports report, it’s the feel, the touch, the spirit and the purity of it all that makes Lin’s story so heart-warming.
“He’s so grounded, so smart, so savvy, that he’s the perfect person to keep his bearings within a world exploding around him,” says Yahoo! Sports columnist Adrian Wojnarowski.
What’s your favorite Jeremy Lin pun? Let me know in the comments.
Eric Holden is a lifelong New York Knicks fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.