Linsanity? NBA's first Asian-American is the talk of NYC (+video)

Just two weeks ago, Jeremy Lin was crashing on his brother's couch on New York’s Lower East Side, only to find himself homeless when his brother threw a party.  

But he can now put such worries behind him since the New York Knicks have guaranteed his $800,000 contract until the end of the season.

Two weeks after his first phenomenal performance – when he had 25 points, five rebounds and seven assists – Lin continues to fascinate NBA fans and players while the nation’s basketball experts try to analyze his surprising emergence into the NBA elite.

The 23-year-old Californian has led the Knicks to a five-game winning streak, while the franchise’s superstars, Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudamire have mostly been unable to play.

"He's a very smart point guard, [something] that I was kind of searching for," said Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, to ESPN. "He did it and can continue to do it. It's put everybody back in the role where they feel comfortable and are producing."

Until recently Lin was simply warming the benches of the Golden State, the Houston Rockets, and the New York Knicks.  But everything changed in a night.  According to the NBA official website, Lin’s cumulative “109 points over his first four career starts are the most by any player since 1976-77.”  Lin is also the first player in the league’s history to score at least 20 points and have seven assists in every one of his first four starts.

1 | 2

Next