Suddenly Tim Tebow has New York's young media-megastar market all to himself. Jeremy Lin, who rode a hot streak with the NBA's New York Knicks to a tidal wave of global attention, is done for the season.
Lin has a small chronic meniscal tear in his left knee and will undergo arthroscopic surgery this week. With a six-week rehabilitation time, it is a long shot he will see the court again this season.
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“You talk about ups and downs," Lin told the Associated Press Saturday. "And at the end of the day, I’m still thankful to be here, thankful to be a part of the Knicks, to see this team, how we’ve grown and how we’re going to make a push for the playoffs. I think as a team we’re doing OK, and we’re going to be just fine. But it’s obviously been a very emotional year.”
Lin, the Asian-American Harvard grad who played in obscurity before this year, will be a restricted free agent at season’s end. He says he'd like to stay with New York, where he ignited a popular and TV ratings renaissance for the Knicks.
“Oh yeah, I think New York, the way the city, the fans, writers, the media, everybody, I think it’s been an unbelievable journey,” Lin said. "We’re getting better and we have so much potential. We have so much talent, and I think it’s a process in terms of reaching our potential.”
Tebow was acquired by the NFL's New York Jets in a trade with the Denver Broncos.