Longtime NBA coach Mike D’Antoni was officially inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last night. During his banquet speech, the 75-year-old shared a very special story—centered on his former Knicks player Jeremy Lin.
“First of all, let me congratulate the New York Knicks on their championship,” D’Antoni began his Hall of Fame induction speech. “New York is a special place,” he gushed. D’Antoni coached the Knicks from 2008 to 2012. The basketball coach brought with him one of the most memorable stories from that time.
“One of the most unforgettable stories of my career was ‘Linsanity.’ Jeremy had signed a 10-day contract at the time and was on the verge of being released—but my assistants—Kenny Atkinson, Dan D’Antoni, and Phil Weber—kept urging me the whole time: ‘Just give him a chance!’ And damn, were they right!” he grinned in the direction of Lin, who was in the audience. “Jeremy gave New York—and all of us—the experience of a lifetime. Thank you so much for being here tonight!”
Up until that point in the spring of 2012, Lin had indeed been scraping by on short-term contracts. His start to the 2011–12 season with the New York Knicks was also mixed. In only two of his first nine games did he score more than five points. In early February, however, the shooting guard was given the opportunity—and he was on fire! By the end of the month, Lin had captivated the entire franchise, averaging an outstanding 22.3 points over 13 games. This included a phenomenal game-winning shot against the Toronto Raptors, where he hit a three-pointer off an isolation play with the score tied at 87–87.
Lin himself was present during his former coach’s speech and appeared genuinely moved by his words. The son of Taiwanese immigrants went on to continue his career with the Houston Rockets and became a journeyman. Over the course of nine NBA seasons, he played for eight different franchises.