BOSTON — If tonight is about Kobe Bryant vs. Jeremy Lin, then consider that news to Bryant.
In fact, consider Lin himself news to Bryant, who expressed confusion as to what “Linsanity” actually is.
“What? No idea,” Bryant said last night after the Lakers’ 88-87 overtime win over the Celtics. “I know who he is but I don’t really know what’s going on too much with them.”
Pressed further, Bryant said, “I don’t even know what he’s done. Like, I have no idea what you guys are talking about. I’ll take a look at [the tape] tonight though.”
You can’t blame Bryant for not knowing much about Lin, whom he wil lface when the Knicks and Lakers meet tonight at Madison Square Garden.
. On Dec. 29 when the Knicks played the Lakers, Lin entered the game for the first time with 1:39 remaining in the fourth quarter, the game already well in hand for the Lakers. Last season was the same for Lin.
All Bryant could do was laugh when asked if he would cover Lin if need be — “I appreciate the question, though,” he said before walking off to the shower.
But Lin may get the last laugh, as he has the last three games. Like most teams, the Lakers haven’t had time to game-plan for him. Up until a couple days ago he hasn’t been worthy of one.
“I think it’s been surprising for everyone,” Lakers power forward Pau Gasol said. “Obviously, a player that didn’t get any minutes, zero minutes, and was sent to the D-League at some point in the season. Pretty much never really done much in this league, and now to put together three games with the numbers that he’s playing is pretty surprising to anyone.”
Surprising to anyone — except Lin. In such a short time he has shown a comfort level on the MSG court that someone without a team just months ago shouldn’t have. But count Lin as one of those players who was just waiting for his name to be called.
“A lot of guys in the league just need an opportunity to play,” Lakers forward Matt Barnes said. “When your coach has confidence in you that’s all you really need, because if you’re in the NBA you can play, obviously.
But how long will the honeymoon last? It’s just a matter of time before the Knicks play teams that will have figured out how to stop Lin. The longer he keeps it up, the quicker he will find that teams are out to get him, specifically.
“Probably now teams are going to be ready, because now it’s not really a lucky game or a coincidence,” Gasol said. “He’s proved that he can play and play at a high level so now players are going to respect him more and going to scout him more and probably he won’t be able to get away with some of the stuff that he probably did during this period of time.”