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Jeremy Lin reveals why he didn’t want Mike D’Antoni to put him in Knicks starting lineup after first ‘Linsanity’ game

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aikansh Chaudhary | Last updated Jun 18, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Playing for a big market team like the New York Knicks can make or break a young player’s career in the NBA.

During the 2011-12 NBA season, Jeremy Lin experienced that firsthand as he earned a spot in the starting five after being on the bench for the beginning of the season.

While it was a huge gamble by then-New York Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni, it paid off as it was the start of the ever-so-famous Linsanity Run.

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Jeremy Lin was praying not to get selected in the starting five after a 25-point performance

Lin’s 13-game stretch during February 2025, a.k.a. The Linsanity Run, was arguably the biggest highlight of the former NBA star’s career.

The run began following Lin’s phenomenal 25-point performance vs the New Jersey Nets (Brooklyn Nets) during his first-ever start for the Knicks.

Despite putting up excellent numbers vs the Nets, Lin was still praying not to see his name in the starting five in the second game of the Linsanity Run.

“It definitely wasn’t the second game. I still remember when we went to practice before the second game, and I was like, ‘Please don’t put me in the starting lineup,'” Lin said in an interview with ESPN.

He added: “That’s what I was thinking. ‘Don’t put me in the starting lineup because I’ve never practiced with these guys, not once. I always play with the bench unit.'”

To be fair, Lin’s concern was valid, as he had no chemistry with the starting five of the Knicks. If he failed to impress the coach, it could have been the end of his career. After all, Lin was just a sophomore at that point.

Jeremy Lin’s prayers went unanswered

Despite Lin not wanting to be a starter, coach D’Antoni picked him for that role for the Knicks’ matchup against the Utah Jazz.

“He called out the starting five, and lo and behold, I was there,” Lin continued. “I was like, ‘Oh man, how is this going to work?’ But for me, the cut deadline had not passed yet, so I was not at all feeling safe or good or worried about any type of fanfare.

“I was like, ‘I had a breakout game, and if I suck tonight, they could easily still cut me.’ I was in survival mode still,” Lin admitted.

Lin may have been worried about coach D’Antoni’s decision, but it worked well for him. The then-23-year-old star scored 28 points in a 99-88 win over the Jazz.

The second game likely injected Lin with immense confidence as he scored 38 points against the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers, a couple of nights later.