For about four weeks in early 2012, Jeremy Lin became one of the biggest sporting stories on the planet. The then-New York Knicks guard went from playing only 55 minutes in the first 22 games of the season to scoring at least 20 points in nine of his next 10 appearances. Lin’s brief era of stunning dominance, infamously remembered as ‘Linsanity,’ was the high point of a tumultuous campaign for the Knicks. The guard helped the team score a few unlikely wins, including one over an unsuspecting Kobe Bryant.
Advertisement
The Hall of Fame guard and the Los Angeles Lakers were on the receiving end of the best performances of Lin’s career. The young star scored 38 points and completely outshone Bryant in a 92-85 win for the Knicks. It was the fourth game in a row where Lin finished with at least 20 points.
The Lakers’ loss that night at the Madison Square Garden could be dubbed a fluke. However, Baron Davis had warned Bryant that Lin was in stellar form and that he’d have to contain him to win. Kobe, being Kobe, dismissed his concern and paid the price.
During his appearance on The Draymond Green Show, Davis spoke about Bryant’s indifference to Lin’s incredible run before the Knicks game against the Lakers. He said,
“Kobe came in town, [and I told him,] ‘Hey Kobe. don’t let this dude bust your a*s. He’s hot.. Don’t let him get you bro.’ Kob like, ‘Psst, come on, BD. Not worried about none of that.’ I’m like, ‘Yo, he’s going to kill you guys tomorrow and I’m telling you this now bro just so when I come in here after the game, you not mad at me.'”
Davis implored Bryant to take ‘Linsanity’ seriously, but he refused to heed the Knicks star’s plea. While Kobe had a typically stellar offensive night, he couldn’t contain Lin defensively, and the Lakers became the young guard’s most famous victims.
Despite succumbing to Linsanity, Bryant never bought into the hype and even chastised the guard when they became teammates.
Jeff Teague reveals Kobe Bryant’s feelings about Jeremy Lin
After Lin’s brief magical run ended, the Knicks continued fielding him in the starting lineup until a meniscus injury ruled him out for the rest of the campaign. In the offseason, they let him join the Houston Rockets, who signed him to a four-year, $29 million contract, hoping to rekindle the spark that made him a global sensation.
However, after he failed to recreate the magic that captivated the world, they traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2014 offseason. Bryant, the most high-profile victim of ‘Linsanity,’ never bought into the guard’s hype and his lack of faith in his ability only strengthened when they became teammates.
During an episode of the Club 520 Podcast, host Jeff Teague recalled a story where the Lakers icon complained about Lin to him. He said,
“After the game, he was like, ‘You left me with this sh*t?’ I was like, what? ‘You left me with this shit.’ He was pointing to Jeremy Lin. I was like, ‘Oh sh*t, like, what?’ He was like, ‘You was supposed to come out here and you left me with this sh*t.’”
In the 2014 offseason, the Lakers tried to trade for Teague but couldn’t agree terms with the Atlanta Hawks. They instead landed Lin, which Bryant seemingly wasn’t a fan of. The two would spend only one season as teammates as the former Knicks star joined the Charlotte Hornets in the 2015 offseason. Lin’s career didn’t reach the heights many projected, but the memories of ‘Linsanity’ and stories about him irking Bryant will live on forever.
