2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview: Conference Finals

From 16 teams, we are down to the Final Four. Only two teams will claim the Prince of Wales and Campbell trophies as champions of the East and West, respectively. Welcome to the Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Sadly, we won't see Pekka Rinne, Brian Elliott or Braden Holtby in the playoffs. Neither will we see Claude 'greatest player in the world' Giroux in this level. Still we'll definitely see a lot of goal protection from Henrik Lundqvist, Martin Brodeur, Mike Smith and Jonathan Quick and some high-end scoring, hits and dimes. Here are the two playoff matchups in the East and West.

(1) New York Rangers vs. (6) New Jersey Devils

Regular Season: Series tied 3-3

For the first time since 1994, the Hudson River rivals meet for the right to win the Prince of Wales trophy. They split the six-game regular season series, which makes the matchup hard to predict. New York may be the top seed, but got into trouble in both playoff series with Ottawa and Washington before winning Game 7 each time. New Jersey, on the other hand, enjoyed a week's rest after disposing Philadelphia in five games, in a series they initially trailed 0-1 after disposing Florida in Game 7. 

Lundqvist and Brodeur have split two series against each other; Brodeur won in 2006, Lundqvist in 2008. This year will be the rubber series between Vezina-winning goalies, with both assured a place in the Hall of Fame soon. Youth vs. balance will play a role in the series. The Rangers' roster is generally young, with only a few of John Tortorella's troops have Cup rings (e.g. Brad Richards, Mike Rupp). Meanwhile the Devils still have remnants of past Stanley Cup-winning teams of 1995, 2000 and 2003 (e.g. Petr Sykora, Patrik Elias, Martin Brodeur), and whose roster is stacked with both youth and experience. This despite Peter DeBoer enjoying just his first postseason appearance as coach. The Devils may have experience, but the Rangers have home ice, which will make the highly-touted regional rivalry interesting and dramatic similar to 1994.

(3) Phoenix Coyotes vs. (8) Los Angeles Kings

Regular Season: Series tied 3-3

The Kings have taken care of first seed Vancouver and second seed St. Louis to become the first team to do the trick. Meanwhile, the Coyotes won two playoff series in a year for the first time in team history, and now have a chance to add a third. Surely, the series promises to be more intense and physical as both teams' calling cards were on defense.

Unlike the goalie matchup in the East, the West matchup will see two unproven goalies with a chance to break out. Jonathan Quick and Mike Smith were the anchors for their respective teams, and their performance will dictate how their teams will fare in the series. The Kings are a roster of the young and the hungry, and whose knack for scoring with a man down has been well-documented. Phoenix, meanwhile, have thrived with a man advantage, and if they keep Los Angeles' penalty kill in check, then they'll succeed. Both teams are riding a wave of momentum after disposing Cup contenders Nashville and St. Louis, and whoever wins will have a chance to hoist their franchise's first Stanley Cup. 

2012 NBA Playoffs Preview: First Round

After 66 regular season games, it comes down to 16 teams, and it takes 16 games to win the NBA championship. Welcome to the 2012 NBA Playoffs. Let's look at the eight first round series that will be played over the next two weeks.

Eastern Conference

(1) Chicago Bulls vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers

Regular Season: Chicago won 2-1

The Bulls made it to the playoffs atop the NBA standings even as Derrick Rose limped throughout the year with a bad ankle. The Sixers started strong, then saw their Atlantic Division title hopes fade late, and had to settle with the eighth seed in the end. The Sixers did beat the Bulls at home early in the season, but the Bulls cranked it up and then stole the series with a pair of gut-wrenchers at home and away. Did the Sixers pick the wrong opponent, or did the Bulls feel poised about facing an opponent with a history of wild mood swings?

Regardless, this series will be rough and tumble similar to what the Pacers did last year to those Bulls. Derrick Rose won't be 100% healthy, but the bench, which had lifted the Bulls all season long, will be up to the task. Philly's Andre Iguodala is an all-star, but doesn't have the closer's mentality that Rose possessed. The frontcourt of Elton Brand, Spencer Hawes, Nik Vucevic, Lavoy Allen and Thaddeus Young is an inexperienced and hurting group, which may not match up well with the Bulls' imposing frontline of Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, Omer Asik and Taj Gibson. The lack of a closer affected the Sixers down the stretch, and unless they can prove that they can win a close game, it may end up as a short series.

(4) Boston Celtics vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks

Regular Season: Boston won 2-1

This is it for the Celtics. The final go-around for the trio of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. And how appropriate to begin the final run is to face an opponent which pushed them to the limit the first time around in their 2008 championship season. The Atlanta Hawks began their return to prominence with that seven-game first round series with the eventual champions, and they never stopped since, though their history of second-round misery remains a mystery in Atlanta.

The Celtics won the season series 2-1 at the right time, facing the Hawks just as they are getting hot in March and April. Then again, the Hawks are a different team from 2008, though some holdovers remain like Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and the injured All-Star Al Horford. The Hawks under Larry Drew like to pour it on offensively, unlike in Mike Woodson's defense-first approach. The Celtics also changed a lot from 2008, but there's still the Big Three and Rajon Rondo, the lead dogs from that team, and coach Doc Rivers. The hopes for both teams will now rely on their lead stars and their otherwise inconsistent supporting crew, as they look to party like it's 2008 all over again.

(2) Miami Heat vs. (7) New York Knicks

Regular Season: Miami won 3-0

The most physical and 'push to the limit' rivalry in NBA history returns to the big stage after a 12-year absence, but the guys involved are no longer named Mourning, Hardaway, Brown, Ewing , Houston and Johnson. Instead names like LeBron, D-Wade, Bosh, Melo, Amar'e and Linsanity are dominating both cities' headlines. The Knicks and the Heat hate each other, and this year's playoff confrontation mirrors that of their brawling 90s ways.

The Heat have had the Knicks' number for much of recent history, and though Anthony and Stoudemire have attempted to turn it around, the Knicks had bad chemistry, underachieving players and even ugly offensive schemes. That of course was early on, until Mike Woodson arrived and the Knicks were starting to play the right way. Even as Jeremy Lin went down hurt the Knicks' lead supporters Baron Davis, Landry Fields, Iman Shumpert, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith and Steve Novak were able to pick up the slack. If the Knicks' good play continues into the playoffs, then the Heat will be in a world of trouble. Unless of course, if you're LeBron, D-Wade and Bosh, whose All-Star form speaks to itself, and the Heat's formidable defense being its asset. However, they need LeBron to be at his best closing out games, which didn't work out in last year's playoffs. The Heat need their supporting crew of Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Joel Anthony, Udonis Haslem, James Jones and Shane Battier more than ever if they were to overcome the Knicks, otherwise the ghosts of Allan Houston's 1999 upset axe will continue to haunt Miami.

(3) Indiana Pacers vs. (6) Orlando Magic

Regular Season: Orlando won 3-1

Orlando won three of four in the regular season, but all four of them involved Dwight Howard. Now with Howard on the shelf following season-ending back surgery, how much does Orlando have left? As for the Indiana Pacers, they will try to prove that they are not a one-hit wonder in the playoffs. Last year, they gave Chicago all they could handle before folding in five, and then they continued that impressive performance this year, as they finished with their best showing in eight years.

With Howard out, the Magic decided to play from outside, after leading the league in three-pointers. However, the lack of inside power will be huge for Orlando, as the Pacers boast a three-headed rebounding monster of Roy Hibbert, David West and Tyler Hansbrough, who are willing to mix it up in the paint. Glen Davis is undersized while Daniel Orton and Earl Clark are unproven, so the Magic will need to rely on outside gunners Ryan Anderson, Jason and Quentin Richardson, J.J. Redick, and Hedo Turkoglu (provided he returns from a facial injury) to carry the scoring. The Pacers have two-way offensive guns in Paul George (inside) and Danny Granger (outside), and with George Hill giving a boost as the starting point guard, the Pacers ran roughshod late to finish third in the East. It will be a hard and trying series for the Magic as they try to win without Howard.

Western Conference

(1) San Antonio Spurs vs. (8) Utah Jazz

Regular Season: San Antonio won 3-1

The Spurs have once again defied time and age to take over the first seed in the West. The Utah Jazz returned to the playoffs after only a year out, but they were a different team than they were two years ago. This is a mismatch, right?

The Spurs still have Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, but they also have players whom they are grooming for the future in Gary Neal, Tiago Splitter, Kawhi Leonard, DeJuan Blair, James Anderson and Danny Green. The addition of Boris Diaw did work wonders, as he worked splendidly with his French national teammate Parker. The Spurs have extensive playoff resumes throughout their roster. Meanwhile the Jazz were flirting with both the lottery and the playoffs during the season before Al Jefferson rescued them in the final week. Jefferson, like some of his Jazz teammates, have little or no experience at all in playoff ball; Jefferson's last playoff minutes were as a Boston rookie. C.J. Miles, Paul Millsap and Raja Bell all have extensive playoff resumes, which will help the Jazz grow as the games go on. Still, the lack of playoff exposure won't help the Jazz in their playoff run, which may last just four or five games depending on performance.

(4) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers
Regular Season: L.A. Clippers won 2-1

Chris Paul's addition boosted the otherwise mediocre Clippers, and enjoyed their best season since their 70s Buffalo heyday. The Grizzlies followed up last year's impressive playoff run by finishing with their best record yet as a team, and will start at home for the first time in their playoff history. 

The Grizzlies play a basic and deliberate brand of ball, while the Clippers play razzle-dazzle, thanks to Paul's on-court wizardry. Either way it worked for both, but in the playoffs, only one style will prevail. Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen will serve as foils for Paul, Mo Williams and Randy Foye, while the inside war will pit Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and Caron Butler against Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay. The absence of Chauncey Billups will be felt for the Clippers, as he is their ultimate clutch performer per se. Both teams will undoubtedly push themselves to the limits, as this series have the makings of a six or seven-game masterpiece.

(2) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks

Regular Season: Oklahoma City won 3-1

Last year, the Mavericks rode the broad shoulders of Dirk Nowitzki to a five-game win over the upstart Thunder, en route to the NBA championship. This year is a different story, however, as the Mavs limp to the playoffs while the Thunder gained valuable experience to clinch the second seed. Will the underdog role suit the defending champions well, or will the Thunder write a different script this time?

The absence of Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea was noticeably felt for the Mavericks, and neither Brandan Wright nor Roddy Beaubois was able to fit the bill. Nowitzki was hurt for much of the year, while Jason Kidd had extended trips to the disabled list. Lamar Odom didn't work out and Vince Carter wasn't Vinsanity from '05. The Mavericks are an eyesore from top to bottom, and any hope of repeating may vanish too soon with this kind of roster. The Thunder had little problems whatsoever, though they weren't able to seal the top seed in the West later in the season. They have youth at their side (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden), experienced warriors with rings (Derek Fisher, Kendrick Perkins) and good role players (Nick Collison, Serge Ibaka, Thabo Sefolosha, Daequan Cook).  The Thunder's growth will be put to the test against the slumping champions, as they look to erase the memories of last season.

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Denver Nuggets

Regular Season: L.A. Lakers won 3-1

The Lakers put to rest notions of their demise by once again finishing atop the Pacific Division. Kobe Bryant had injury problems for a few games, but still wound up second to Kevin Durant for the scoring lead. Speaking of scoring, the Nuggets led the league in scoring, despite the lack of an All-Star scorer. George Karl knows how to push the right buttons, and the Nuggets, for the ninth straight year, are in the playoffs.

Bryant, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are the Lakers' big three, though Gasol slumped during the season while Bynum blossomed to All-Star status before a reported feud with coach Mike Brown diminished his image a bit. The addition of Ramon Sessions gave the Lakers a younger, faster point guard, and he blossomed under the tutelage of Bryant. Though Metta World Peace's suspension will affect the Lakers, Matt Barnes and Devin Ebanks are more than willing to fill the void. The Nuggets lost Nene to the Wizards in a mid-season trade, leaving the door open for Kenneth Faried to blossom. However, the Nuggets frontline will be inexperienced, with Kosta Koufos, JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov having logged little or no playoff minutes. Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari, Al Harrington, Arron Afflalo and Andre Miller will again lead the Nuggets' offense, but the lack of capable closers may spell doom for the starless Nuggets. Five or six games may be enough to decide the series. 

The Self-Destruction of the New York Knicks?

The afternoon of March 14, 2012 was anything but normal. Mike D'Antoni held a team practice for the embattled New York Knicks, who have lost six in a row and have been on the playoff bubble at that point. A few hours after practice ended, he informed the Knicks front office that he had enough. And so it did. Mike D'Antoni left the Knicks training room for the last time. 

Mike D'Antoni's Knicks record was 121-167
(.420), a far cry from his tenure with the
Phoenix Suns.

The Knicks under D'Antoni failed to buy into his 'seven seconds or less' philosophy he was known for. Even as D'Antoni added his old pal Amar'e Stoudemire away from Phoenix and traded for Carmelo Anthony, the lack of a point guard in the mold of Steve Nash doomed the Knicks. Sadly, they gave up Chauncey Billups, who had his Nash-like glimpses during his time in New York, and gambled upon Tyson Chandler to anchor the defense, which again didn't work out. 

The only time the Knicks thrived well under D'Antoni was when an unknown Taiwanese-American named Jeremy Lin took off like a rocket and brought hope to a fanbase that is hungry to recapture past glory. But when Amar'e and 'Melo returned, the Knicks were shot back down to earth, capped off by six straight losses, the final straw being a 104-99 loss at Chicago on Monday night.

D'Antoni's resignation added more frustration to the Knicks fan base, whose high expectations have deserted them despite the addition of two perennial All-Stars, and the emergence of another. As far as New York City is concerned, it hasn't been good times lately for their teams wearing the traditional blue and orange (Mets, Knicks, Islanders), teams with a history of winning. On the contrary their red and blue counterparts (Giants, Rangers) have performed well, with the Giants winning the Super Bowl this year and the Rangers currently in contention for the Stanley Cup. Which really doesn't help if you're wearing a blue and orange jersey.

The Knicks had a lot of problems in addition to D'Antoni's system being a bad fit. Anthony is not a good defender. Toney Douglas and Iman Shumpert are not pure point guards. J.R. Smith and Baron Davis arrived way too late. Mike Bibby is on the doghouse. Landry Fields is slumping. Stoudemire has struggled after a back injury hampered him in the 2011 playoffs. Josh Harrellson and Jerome Jordan are unproven commodities. And Jared Jeffries is oft-injured. Aside from Lin, Steve Novak has been lights out, but other than that, the Knicks were a dysfunctional bunch, a far cry from Red Holzman's team oriented 70s squads and Pat Riley's scrappy and gritty 90s teams. 

If the Knicks were to salvage at least the eighth playoff seed, they need to perform well under interim coach Mike Woodson, otherwise another painful year is on the horizon. 

Seeing Green

A week from today will be St. Patrick's Day, and in every place full of Irish people, whether full or half-blooded, green is everywhere. From leprechauns to dyed bodies of water, March 17 is where people enjoy seeing green. And professional sports is no exception.

The NBA introduced the St. Patrick's Day uniform program during the 2005-06 season, and ran throughout the second to third week of March. The initial participants were the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Bulls and the New York Knicks, cities with high Irish populations. The Toronto Raptors became the fourth participant in 2008, but three years later, they decided to replace their green uniforms with a camouflaged green version in honor of Veterans Day. 

The Knicks' green uniforms were also used during Christmas Day games. They received much publicity during the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend, where 5'9'' Nate Robinson, playing the role of Kryptonite (or 'Krypto-Nate'), wore the Knicks green jerseys and neon green sneakers to beat Dwight Howard (dressed in his Superman cape) in the Slam Dunk Contest. 

The NHL's New Jersey Devils have been honoring the holiday by rocking their retro 1980s uniforms during St. Patrick's Week. The uniform prominently features green on the logo and the pants, in contrast to the current black and red scheme they use today. Their retro uniforms were used regularly from 1982-92, before trading green for black. Currently the Minnesota Wild are the only team with a green sweater; they use them as alternates, while the Vancouver Canucks use green as trim color to their uniforms. 

Major League Baseball also had some instances of teams sporting green caps and jerseys during St. Patrick's week, even if it's still Spring Training. The Chicago White Sox took it a step further by wearing green caps and white pinstriped jerseys with green trim on September 17, as part of their 'Halfway to St. Patty's' promotion. The most prominent example came from the Boston Red Sox, who wore green caps and uniforms in April 2007 to pay tribute to the late Celtics president Red Auerbach, and in June 2008, when the Celtics won the NBA championship. 

Unfortunately, the NFL has no such practice, considering that they are in an offseason during spring and summer. But at least the Green Bay Packers, the Philadelphia Eagles and the New York Jets wear green. 

Now, is anyone ready to rock green next week?  I'm sure you are.

Wilt 100 at 50; Dismissal Reports

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, held at Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1962 between the Philadelphia Warriors and the New York Knicks. Chamberlain scored 100 of the 169 points the Warriors had in a 22-point victory over the Knicks, and to this day, it remains the highest-scoring game by a player in NBA history. Happy anniversary to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game.

'Til We Meet Again: Flip Saunders

In my previous post, the Washington Wizards needed a coaching change after an 0-8 start and even considered forfeiting all 66 games in protest instead of hiring a new coach. Well, they did win two of the next nine, but the continued spate of losses eventually cost Flip Saunders his job and assistant Randy Wittman took over from there. Wittman did help avoid the Wizards from sinking even further, something Paul Silas and the Charlotte Bobcats were unable to prevent after a 16-game losing streak. Michael Jordan, time to act now and fire Silas.

'Til We Meet Again: Ron Wilson

In Toronto, the ship is also sinking for the Maple Leafs. After a promising start to the season that rewarded a contract extension for coach Ron Wilson, the Leafs went on a freefall, going 1-9-1 for much of February, ultimately costing Wilson his job, a choice general manager Brian Burke said was 'difficult', considering his mutual friendship with Wilson. He then hired another friend of his in former Anaheim Ducks coach Randy Carlyle, who was fired two months ago after the Ducks endured slow start. Burke and Carlyle worked together in the Ducks' 2007 Stanley Cup title run.

Randy Carlyle: We Met Again

After John Stevens briefly worked the sidelines for the Los Angeles Kings, Darryl Sutter was hired by the Kings on a permanent basis on December 17, 2011. Randy Cunneyworth's job in Montreal is on an interim basis, so expect the Habs to hire a permanent coach in the offseason soon. 

It's the final five weeks of the NHL season, so every game is expected to be competitive and tough as the race for the playoffs begin. Good luck.

NBA Midseason Report (Part 4)

We've reached the All-Star Break aka the midpoint of the NBA season. Some teams have so far exceeded expectations, others didn't. We look at all 30 teams at a glance on how the first half of the season has been. 


Milwaukee Bucks

A 13-20 mark isn't bad at all for the Bucks, as they sit comfortably within inches of the playoffs. However, they need more from Brandon Jennings, Carlos Delfino and Ersan Ilyasova to tow the Bucks back to the playoffs, especially now that Andrew Bogut's injury problems have returned.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio are the undisputed lead dogs in the Twin Cities. With a 17-17 mark, the Timberwolves have essentially improved from last season's dismal showing. A playoff berth is within sight, and they may only get better from here.

New Jersey Nets

Same ol' problems for the departing New Jersey Nets. Their 10-25 mark is not what Nets fans want to see as they move from Jersey to Brooklyn at season's end. The loss of Brook Lopez was huge for the Nets, and it may have essentially ended their season here. 

New Orleans Hornets

The moment Chris Paul packed his bags from Bayou to Hollywood, Monty Williams knew a tough season would come. And it did. The 8-25 Hornets suffered from empty seats, injuries and a lack of confidence. Winning no longer exists in NOLA, and the Hornets have to rebuild from hereon.

New York Knicks

If not for Jeremy Lin's emergence, the Knicks may have never entered the playoff conversation. A seven-game winning streak have them flirt with a winning record for the first time since early in the season, and a part of it was from a Taiwanese-American benchwarmer turned full-time starter. Linsanity is on a roll, baby.

Jeremy Lin: From Underachiever to Hero

Jeremy Lin during the second of  five straight
20-point games vs. the Utah Jazz on February 6, 2012

It was a cold Saturday night at Madison Square Garden, the cross-town rivals New York and New Jersey in action. The focus of attention remains Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire from the Knicks, and Deron Williams from the Nets. However, a player whose 'chinito' looks can't be denied is warming up on that same court. 

He is Jeremy Lin, a Taiwanese-American baller from Harvard who had been buried deep on the Knicks bench for most games, and the only way he can play is when the game was out of reach. But with Iman Shumpert and Toney Douglas struggling, head coach Mike D'Antoni finally decided to break Lin loose, and he broke out in a big way, scoring 25 points while earning five rebounds and seven assists en route to 99-92 Knicks win. 

Two nights later, the Knicks host the Utah Jazz, who were embarking on a week-long road trip. With Stoudemire out for family reasons, D'Antoni decided to give Lin the starting nod, and he did not disappoint. Defying the notion of being a mere 'one-hit wonder', Lin burned the Jazz with 28 points and eight assists in a convincing 99-88 win. 

After a 23-point, 10-assist performance against the lowly Wizards the next night, Lin returned to the Garden to face Kobe Bryant and the powerful Lakers Friday evening. In front of a national television audience, Lin announced his entry to the NBA's elite with a career-defining 38-point performance, outdueling Bryant and the Lakers in a 92-85 Knicks win. His performance was even talked about on social media, with the terms 'Linsanity', 'Jeremy Lin', and 'Linning' the trending topic on Twitter that Friday night. In only one week, Jeremy Lin turned his life around, from an underachiever who couldn't even make the rotation to a hero not only in New York City, but across the world.

Lin, whose parents were Taiwanese immigrants, was an undrafted prospect from Harvard who made the NBA via the Summer League. In his four years at Harvard, he averaged 13 ppg, 4 rpg, and 4 apg while playing an average of 29 minutes and a shooting clip of 48%.  He managed to appear in 115 games, with 87 of them in the starting lineup, enough for topping the all-time Harvard record for games played. He was an All-Ivy League second team selection once (2008) and first team selection twice (2009-10). 

Lin joined the Dallas Mavericks summer league team after graduating in 2010 and made an impression among the scouts from the Golden State Warriors, norming 10 ppg, 3 rpg and 2 apg in 19 mpg for all five games. The Warriors then signed Lin on July 21, 2010.

But Lin failed to make an impression in the Bay Area, due to the fact that players like Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis were playing both guard positions and that Reggie Williams and Acie Law were Keith Smart's more trusted backups. In all, Lin played in only 29 games, mostly in injury or garbage situations and averaged only 3 ppg, 1 rpg and 1 apg in just 10 mpg. Nevertheless, Lin made history as the 42nd NBA player from an Ivy League school, and its first Asian-American player. But Lin wasn't satisfied with being just a mere NBA pioneer.

When the NBA resumed operations following the four-month lockout, the Warriors waived Lin on December 9, 2011, despite earning a fan favorite status in Oakland and even earned the trust of owner Joe Lacob. The Houston Rockets immediately signed Lin to its training camp roster on December 12, but waived him a day before the start of the season. Then on December 27, the Knicks signed Lin after rookie Iman Shumpert fell to an injury. Lin debuted, ironically, against the Warriors on December 28, playing only one minute. After a spate of garbage time performances totaling only nine points in 15 minutes, Lin was assigned to the Knicks' D-League affiliate, the Erie Bayhawks, and on January 20 against the Maine Red Claws, he had a triple-double of 28 points, 11 rebounds and 12 assists, getting a glimpse of what was to become. 

The Knicks recalled Lin after six days in the D-League on January 23, but continued to be used in garbage time situations. Not until Mike D'Antoni gave him significant minutes against the Nets that Saturday night did 'Linsanity' explode, and in a week's time, he became a cultural icon not only in New York City, but also in China and Taiwan, and around the world. The NBA even added Knicks games to the Chinese and Taiwanese media, underscoring Lin's eventual importance to the Chinese-speaking community.

A week after his breakout performance against the Nets, Lin faced another rising star in Spain's Ricky Rubio, when the Knicks visit the Minnesota Timberwolves. With the game down to the wire, Lin stepped up and hit the game-changing free throws late in the game to seal the Knicks' 100-98 win, adding 'clutch performer' to his expanding resume. Within a week, Lin was featured heavily on the Associated Press, Time Magazine, and Bloomberg News, in addition to becoming a trending topic on Twitter.

The rags-to-riches story of Jeremy Lin, if it continues, may just become the 'Story of the Year' in 2012. For this Harvard scholar-turned-big-time baller, it is only the beginning of a story to remember for years to come.