The NBA All-Star game is the stage where the most exciting and deserving players have the opportunity to play against each other. This game consists of the most talented players who have made significant contributions to their teams up until that point in the season, at least according to what the fans think. The fans are responsible for voting for the starting lineups for each respective conference.
With the All-Star game approaching, a major controversy has arisen regarding the newest star on the New York Knicks, Jeremy Lin. During the past two weeks, the Knicks have transformed from an underachieving 8-15 team into the hottest team in the league. The Knicks (16-16) have won eight of their last nine games, including a win today against the defending champs, the Dallas Mavericks.
Lin has been the catalyst of his surging team, winning games without Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony(groin) and Amar’e Stoudemire (death in family). He has scored 199 points and dished out 78 assists during this run, bringing the Knicks back to relevance in just two weeks.
If it were truly up to the fans to decide, Lin would be starting, or at least picked as a reserve, in the All-Star game.
With that being said, in light of the recent media frenzy, NBA Commissioner David Stern had decided that Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin will not be allowed to play in this season’s All-Star game. However, Stern will allow Lin to play in the Rookie-Sophomore Rising Stars Game.
How can a player averaging 24.8 points per game and nearly ten assists during these past two weeks not be eligible to play in the All-Star game? Lin has taken the NBA by storm, earning more media attention than any player has ever had before. Lin’s arrival and impact is unprecedented, leaving many sports writers and analysts speechless when trying to predict when or if his hot streak will end. Carmelo Anthony has been voted to start the All-Star game and he hasn’t come close to contributing what Lin has brought to his team.
Lin has helped the Knicks earn just as many wins during this two-week stretch as they had all season. Linsanity has spread worldwide and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down as long as the Knicks are winning.
Jeremy Lin deserves to be an All-Star not just because of his personal success, but because of the impact he has had on his team. He has managed to rejuvenate an entire city and at the same time giving his teammates the confidence they need to turn their season around. Although it’s nice that Stern allowed Lin to play in the Rising Stars game, we all know he deserves to play in arguably the biggest All-Star game in American sports.
An issue Stern may be concerned with is that if he allows Lin to play, then every player who has played all season will be angry that they passed up for a guy who has started less than ten games. That may be true but when you look at the impact Lin has made in such a short time, you have to give him a spot on the All-Star roster. Fans would love to see Lin running floor with Dwyane Wade, and throwing alley-oops to a soaring LeBron James or Dwight Howard. Stern needs to provide the fans with the players they want to see and give Lin the credit he deserves as a star in the NBA.
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