While we all know how the New York Knicks' playoff run has produced a lot of feel-good moments amongst fans, former Knicks player Jeremy Lin has also recently revealed one that pleasantly shocked him.

Between the Knicks' playoff run in the 90s and the current era led by Jalen Brunson, "Linsanity" gifted New York one of its most enjoyable periods of watching basketball.

However, to his surprise, he did not know how much of an impact he created on Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who has credited Lin with making him a passionate New York Knicks fan.

“When I’m listening to him talk, I’m really like, ‘No, I made a difference in his life.’ It’s shocking for me. I almost can’t believe it,” said the 37-year-old Lin on Pablo Torre Finds Out.

Lin also revealed that he initially did not believe that Towns admired him when he saw the 30-year-old center wear a "Linsanity" shirt. But after getting to know him over the years, Lin realised how genuine it was.

Lin is a bona fide cult hero for the Knicks fans. He went from an undrafted, Harvard walk-on to becoming a global star who took the Knicks to a seven-game winning streak, averaging 22 points per game in the 2011/12 season.

In addition to his lore, he raised ticket prices at Madison Square Garden, bringing back Spike Lee along with it. He also famously scored 38 points on Kobe Bryant after the icon asked, "Who is this kid?"

Lin left the NBA after winning the championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, but he returned to MSG for Game 3 of the NBA Finals, earning a loud and nostalgic cheer from the crowd.

But the Knicks lost Game 3 and need to buckle up for an exciting Game 4, as Lin believes this run from the Knicks is one of the most dominant in a while.

Jeremy Lin Gives Credit to the Knicks' Finals Run

According to many fans, the Knicks are currently on one of the greatest playoff runs of all time, winning 13 games in a row until Game 3 of the NBA Finals when Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs finally put a stop to it.

While Lin did not fully comment on whether the current Knicks are the best they have ever been, he did not shy away from giving them their due flowers.

“I don’t think I know enough about the history of the older teams to fully know,” Lin told The California Post. “But forget the Knicks, this is one of the most dominant runs we’ve seen in NBA history.”

Lin also praised the "King of New York", Jalen Brunson, for igniting the Knicks fanbase once again and showing the world what the people of New York have known for a while.

As we head back to the Garden for an important Game 4, the Knicks are still 2-1 up, but the Spurs have shown throughout the series that they can bounce back at any given point in time.

Game 4 tips off Wednesday night, and it will be interesting to see if the Knicks can take the decisive 3-1 lead or whether the Spurs will head back to San Antonio with the series tied.

So, do you think Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns can propel the New York Knicks to their first NBA championship in 53 years? Tell us your predictions in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy