Knicks' Carmelo Anthony Sets Record Straight About Jeremy Lin

The former New York Knicks legend opened up about his rift with Linsanity.

Mar 6, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) talks with forward Carmelo Anthony (7) in the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports / Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Before this spring's magic, shorthanded run to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the most electrifying moment of the new century New York Knicks may well have been Jeremy Lin's magical 27-game run from the 2011-12 season, a stretch forever known as "Linsanity."

Linsanity holds a bittersweet legacy in the minds of Knicks fans, one emphasized by the fact that it all came crashing down due to injury and Lin's subsequent transfer to the Houston Rockets. Some have blamed supposed dissatisfaction from then-franchise face Carmelo Anthony for its early conclusion but Anthony himself offered to set the record straight in the latest edition of his podcast "7PM in Brooklyn.

March 4, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) , Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce (34) and Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin (17) all chase a loose ball during overtime at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports / Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

"People always talk about ... nobody liked the Linsanity ... personally me, you get what I'm saying? They throw that out there," Anthony told co-host The Kid Mero and guest/fellow Linsanity witness Baron Davis. "But people don't know that, behind the scenes, we were very supportive of this."

Lin, whose breakout served as a major cultural moment for Asian-Americans, briefly became the face of New York basketball for about two months, his run of prosperity headlined by a 38-point showing against the late Kobe Bryant in a nationally-televised game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Current playing in Taiwan, Lin played seven more seasons in the NBA but never captured the same success he had in Manhattan.

Anthony emphasized that he and his teammates, including Davis, tried to encourage Lin to capitalize on his success by monetizing Linsanity, but a combination of the phenomenon's rapid pace and Lin's own reluctance to cash in made it a relatively moot point.

Mar 16, 2017; New York, NY, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Jeremy Lin (7) reacts to being fouled by New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Brooklyn Nets won 121-110. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports / Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports

"Linsanity could've been a $100 million business, easy," Anthony said. "I'm trying to get this through to him. He was like 'nah, I'm not brought up on that, my parents.' I respected that, but I'm like ... matter of fact, bring your parents in here, let us talk to them."

Lin did eventually ink a few endorsement deals with brands like Adidas, Nike, and Volvo and also trademarked the phrase "Linsanity."

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