A cult hero in the NBA, Jeremy Lin was one of the most exciting players in the league during his short-lived prime. Earlier on Saturday, he announced his retirement from professional basketball, pulling the curtains down on a career, the prime of which he spent in the NBA from 2010 to 2019.
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With that, stories of how impactful and memorable his career was have resurfaced and are being talked about everywhere. ‘Linsanity’ rubbed shoulders with some of the best, including Kobe Bryant.
The term ‘Linsanity’ became common among fans during Lin’s New York Knicks stint (2011-12). The Big Apple was the first team he could call home, and he put in some of his most iconic performances. One of them came against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 10, 2012.
Bryant, being the ‘Black Mamba’ he was, might have been aware of what the Linsanity craze was. But ahead of the match against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, he decided to say, “What the f*** is going on? Who is this kid? I’ll have to deal with him.” The Ivy League superstar, however, made Bryant eat his words.
The five-time NBA champion had brushed off the idea of having to guard Lin. “Jesus Christ! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” he said. So, when the two finally met on court, what did Lin do? He dropped 38 points and dished out 7 assists.
Not that Kobe didn’t put up a good fight, scoring 34 himself. However, Lin and the Knicks outperformed Bryant and the Lakers, 92-85.
‘LINSANITY’ VS. KOBE: On February 10, 2012, Kobe Bryant didn’t know of Jeremy Lin & ‘Linsanity’ the night before playing the Knicks in New York.
“What the **** is going on? Who is this kid? I’ll have to deal with him,” Kobe said. “Jesus Christ! Let’s not get ahead of… pic.twitter.com/TvVfFDghU8
— Courtside Buzz (@CourtsideBuzzX) August 31, 2025
Respect is something Bryant understood. After tasting the humble pie served by Lin, Bryant acknowledged just how good a player he was. “Players don’t usually come out of nowhere. If you can go out and drop 38 on us, you’re a hell of a player,” he said.
Lin had the Mamba stamp of approval. And in 2014, he joined the Lakers, where the two created some memories to cherish.
Lin waved off Kobe to hit clutch shots himself
Bryant loved the responsibility in crunch time. Not all his shots went in, of course, but he thrived under pressure. And when there was a game-winner on the line, it was he who had the ball. However, in a game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Lin did the unthinkable.
In the fourth quarter of the game with the scores tied 103-103, Lin had the ball in his hands. He then proceeded to wave Bryant away and dribble the ball to the side to successfully hit a shot from deep. There was nothing Chris Paul could do to stop him.
Never forget Jeremy Lin waiving off Kobe and hitting the clutch 3
— Overtime (@overtime) August 31, 2025
It was yet another Linsanity moment. Sadly, it was one of the last. Lin’s career slowed down after coaches and scouts learned to stop his predictable moves on the court. Plus, injuries (to his knee in particular) meant that he never really got back to his best self, which was on display with the Knicks.
That said, Lin will always be remembered for his brilliant run in form for New York. He was a “hell of a player,” as Kobe said. You don’t make it big in the NBA if you’re not.
