The second chapter has started in the story of Jeremy Lin. We may never witness “Linsanity” again, but the signs in the first game are that the basketball star is going to be in the headlines for much of the new NBA season.
The point-guard, who left New York Knicks where he made his name in such spectacular fashion in the summer, tasted victory in his first game with Houston Rockets.
Houston made an offer to the player, who was a restricted agent, and one that the Knicks were not willing to match, despite earlier indicating that they would.
The 24 year-old, born in the United States to Taiwanese parents, and his new team-mates defeated Detroit Pistons 105-96.
In Lin’s 35 minutes on the court, he managed 12 points, eight assists and four rebounds..
It wasn’t quite the kind of form that he showed from last February to March as he burst onto the scene with the Knicks. In a seven week period, he averaged 18.5 points and 7.7 assists a game.
Lin may not have been the star of the show on his first ever season opener but is still the star of the team as was demonstrated in the headlines. His name appeared in most of them, even if only to point out that he wasn’t the main man on the night.
“It’s a brand-new chapter in my life, and so I’m excited to get this thing going,” Lin said after the game. “And hopefully, if we keep this up, it’s going to be a really fun season.”
“This was the best my body has felt in a while, a few months,” he said. “I’m glad I got that first one out of the way. I know what to expect, and how my body’s going to respond.”
“We’re trying to develop a team identity, so this helps for sure,” Lin said.
James Harden was the star of the show with 37 points and 12 assists but even he was asked about Lin after the match.
“Similar to me, he can create and score the ball, so I’m excited to have him as a backcourt partner,” Harden said. “We’re going to make our team better.”
Back in New York, Lin’s replacement Raymond Felton was telling fans that it would soon be a case of “Jeremy who?” for fans in the Big Apple.
"They knew what I did the last time I was here," Felton said. "Now it's about me just going out there and showing I can do it again.
"Jeremy's gone. He's in Houston now. That's a lost cause. He's not coming back. It's my team. I'm the point guard. Me and [Jason] Kidd, so Jeremy Lin is in Houston. Only time he comes back is when he plays against us."
That’s true. Lin may have left New York, but the memory is going to remain for quite some time.