A couple of New York Knicks seem to view Linsanity as insanity.
Jeremy Lin will soon become a member of the Houston Rockets, whose three-year, $25 million offer sheet won’t be matched the Knicks, according to ESPN.com. The decision reportedly comes down to New York not wanting to shell out the cash, especially considering the third year of the deal carries a $14 million salary. The Knicks would also be subject to a luxury tax in the third year.
If Lin finally does join Houston, two of the guard’s former teammates, Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, certainly understand why.
Anthony, who’s never had a bad thing to say about Lin, noted at Sunday’s Team USA practice that he’d like for the two to remain teammates. He understands the contract is a little bit out there, though.
“It’s up to the organization to say that they want to match that ridiculous contract,” Anthony said.
Sure, it’s not the worst thing anyone’s ever said, but it’s a sentiment that’s shared by many fans and analysts who feel that Lin’s marketability is perhaps his biggest asset. If it came down to pure hardwood accomplishment, Lin might not have been in line to become so rich.
“I think some guys take it personal, because they’ve been doing it longer and haven’t received any reward for it yet,” Smith told Sports Illustrated’s Sam Amick. “I think it’s a tough subject to touch on for a lot of guys.”
Lin, whose feel-good story of going from an afterthought to an emerging NBA talent is well-documented, burst onto the scene last season. He turned in a number of big performances for the Knicks, but also experienced ups and downs as defenses began to hone in on him.
Lin’s stardom may have been magnified by the fact that he was playing in The Big Apple. Everything’s said to be bigger in Texas, though, so Linsanity might not be dying off any time soon.
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