“It would be too much to handle for him” – Baron Davis believes the Knicks made the right move for not keeping Jeremy Lin after Linsanity originally appeared on Basketball Network.
When the New York Knicks were in turmoil during the 2011-12 season, Jeremy Lin rose as an unexpected superhero, sparking a historic run that still resonates today. Lin led the team to 10 wins in 13 games and scored 136 points in his first five career starts — the most since the NBA-ABA merger. Yet, shockingly, the Knicks decided not to retain him in the following season, letting him walk to the Houston Rockets.
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As ‘Linsanity’ fans scratched their heads, wondering why the Knicks didn’t give a rising and marketable star a chance to shine and prove his worth in a full season, Baron Davis holds a different perspective — one rooted in realism. According to him, the Knicks actually made the right call, as the pressure to perform at an incredible, and somewhat unfair, sky-high rate would have tarnished Lin’s reputation and image entirely.
Baron Davis on why the Knicks did the right thing by letting Lin go
During that stretch, Lin wasn’t just putting up incredible numbers. He dropped a career-high 25 points and seven assists per game during a brief stretch while also helping the Knicks go above .500. More notably, Lin shattered major stereotypes about Asian American athletes, showing that not only could he handle among the best but also do so with flair. He dazzled on the court, with his ball handling, changed direction mid-air, breezed past defenders, and regularly put defenders in compromising situations, making the fans rise to their feet.
But as Davis emphasizes, had the Knicks held onto Lin, the expectation would have been to perform at the same rate he did during that particular stretch. Any other contribution that Lin would’ve made, regardless of how impactful and game-changing they would’ve been, would never be appreciated.
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Put simply, Davis knows that the NBA culture would have set the bar so incredibly high for Lin that achieving it on a nightly basis would have been impossible. Thus, the criticism would have poured in from all directions.
“I think it played out the way it should have. I mean, the Knicks took a chance on Jeremy Lin and we all supported him. I think when you build value like that in yourself, you have to live up to a certain hype and responsibility, and I think that it would be too much to handle for him,” Davis said. “You know what I mean? Even though he’s a good player, it would have way too much and it could have ultimately became a distraction.”
Did ‘Linsanity’ deserve more chances?
While many believe Lin deserved another shot to shine under the Madison Square Garden spotlight, the truth is that sustaining that level of play was always going to be incredibly difficult. His career-best season average hovered around 18 points per game, and with injuries also playing a role, maintaining the Linsanity pace might have been an unrealistic expectation.
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But for those basketball fans who adore an underdog story, the fact that Lin never got another chance would always sting. Nevertheless, at least the 2019 NBA Champion got a deserving, lucrative salary in Houston and even ended his career with a championship that only enriches his legacy in one way or another.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 9, 2025, where it first appeared.