Advertisement

Should the Knicks’ Jeremy Lin play in the All-Star game?

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin is one of the NBA’s biggest stars, but he is not an All-Star. That’s what happens when a meteoric rise to superstardom takes place mere weeks before the All-Star game, which will be Feb. 26.

Should the NBA figure out a way to get Lin into the All-Star game? Writers from around Tribune Co. will discuss the topic. Check back throughout the day for more responses and join the discussion by voting in the poll and leaving a comment of your own.

Advertisement

Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times

If David Stern can nix the Chris-Paul-to-the-Lakers trade for ‘basketball reasons,’ he can surely come up with an excuse to send New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin to Orlando.

And don’t just put him in some lame skills challenge, either. Let him play in the All-Star game and say it’s for ‘humanitarian reasons.’

PHOTOS: Absolute Lin-sanity

Lin would turn a ho-hum event into a Linernational phenomenon, generating interest across the globe. By the way, he might also make a more worthy starter for the East than Knicks teammate Carmelo Anthony, who was sidelined for most of New York’s return to respectability under Lin.

Getting Lin to Orlando? Lin-genious.

Brian Schmitz, Orlando Sentinel

Advertisement

Jeremy Lin has been with the Knicks, for, what, two minutes? Now we want to change All-Star weekend rules for him?

There’s a push to add him to the dreadful rookie-sophomore game in Orlando.

PHOTOS: New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin

If he were playing for Memphis, would anybody hold a write-in campaign? I mean, we’re treating him like he’s Tim Tebow in shorts.

I know the All Star stuff is all an exhibition, but if the NBA accommodates Lin, we’d have chaos and free-thinking, and David Stern loathes chaos and free-thinking. He’s already quelled the Chris Paul rebellion, so don’t make him crush Linsanity (although the league has to froth at all the All-Star marketing possibilities.)

I’ve got an idea. Lin can play if the All Stars agree to play defense in the actual game.

[Updated at 12:18 p.m.: It has been reported that Lin will be named to the All-Star weekend’s Haier Shooting Stars competition and also will assist Knicks teammate Iman Shumpert in the slam-dunk contest. The following entry was written in response to those developments: Dave Hyde, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

This was a six-inch putt. A two-handed dunk. A no-brainer. Of course Jeremy Lin should have been invited to the All-Star weekend, just as he was by league officials.

Advertisement

To suggest anything else is to pretend there’s some high-minded rules to the event beyond to have fun. And who doesn’t find Lin’s emergence fun?

League officials want him there because of the buzz around him. TV officials want him there because of the ratings he’ll generate (MSG ratings are up 85% since Lin-sanity).

The common fans want him there because this is the kind of story that’s fun to watch no matter the venue. There are enough silly events at the All-Star game to find room for him. Not to do so would be missing this marketing dunk shot.]

RELATED:

The Jeremy Lin legend continues to grow

Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow: The comparison doesn’t hold up

Advertisement

Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony says he can coexist with Jeremy Lin

Advertisement