“Couldn’t Allow That”: How Jeremy Lin’s ‘Linsanity’ Hype Led Rajon Rondo to Have the Best Game of His Career in 2012

Jeremy Lin’s ‘Linsanity’ might be the most talked about hot streak in NBA history. The then-Knicks point guard, who was a role player, embarked on a magical run in February 2012 and made mincemeat of his matchups during that month. His most notable scalps included Kobe Bryant and John Wall, and the common consensus was that the struggling Rajon Rondo would also join the list when the Celtics hosted Lin and the Knicks at the TD Garden. However, he was adamant about not letting it happen.

On The Truth Lounge, the two-time NBA champion revealed that his teammates — the Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett — challenged him and asked, “Whatchu gonna do Rondo?” It gave him the motivation he needed to put an end to Linsanity. Recalling what transpired in the lead-up to the game, Rondo said,

“I heard weeks about Jeremy Lin, Linsanity, you turn on the TV. Before the game, it was damn near a sea of media. He was frying everybody he was lining up with. I slept on it, I manifested on what I’m going to do, and I wasn’t taking it, I couldn’t allow it.”

The guard responded with one of the best games of his career as he finished with 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 20 assists in a 115-111 win for the Celtics. He was not only stellar on offense but also clamped up Lin on defense and limited the guard to 14 points on 16 shots, with five assists and six turnovers.

His superstar teammates knew he was capable of outperforming the Knicks guard, but what he delivered on the night left them awestruck. In the post-game press conference, Garnett suggested the media hyping up Lin played a role in Rondo’s otherworldly performance, saying,

“If you know Rondo, you know he’s an ‘I’ll show you’ kind of player.’ This game had enough juice on it to be the kind he’s interested in.” 

The forward even nabbed the box score for the game, tucked it into his pockets, and said, “To prove I was a witness.” Rondo wasn’t a star when the Celtics brought in Garnett and Allen and paired them with Pierce in 2007. But he quickly established himself as the floor general on a team full of superstars and became one of the most important players on that roster.