Andrew Slayton
He diagnosed the Linsanity long before anyone else.
A California man who coached Knicks phenom Jeremy Lin in high school saw the point guard’s star potential two years ago — and is now cashing in on multiple Web site addresses capitalizing on the Taiwanese tornado’s success.
“I always knew Jeremy would be amazing. I believe in this,” Andrew Slayton, 45, boasted to The Post.
Slayton claimed that when Lin was tearing up the Ivy League for Harvard, “Linsanity” just popped into his head.
In 2010, Slayton had the foresight to secure the domain names Linsanity.com and TheJeremyLinShow.com.
He said Lin has no idea about the Web sites.
“I don’t know what he thinks, but it’s an homage to him,” Slayton said.
After Lin dropped 38 points on the Lakers en route to a 92-85 win Friday night, the $16 to $18 T-shirts Slayton’s hawking were finally flying off the shelves — or will be, once he actually prints them up.
Business was not brisk before Lin’s coming-out party last week.
“With the Lakers game, things have really been ramping up. It’s two to eight days for delivery, so I have time,” he said.
In the 24 hours leading up to the Laker game and after the win, Slayton said he received about 50 orders. He expects that number to grow exponentially as Lin continues to win, as No. 17 did last night when he helped the team to a 100-98 victory over Minnesota.
Slayton’s history with Lin dates back to when the 23-year-old Harvard grad was a stud on the Palo Alto HS basketball team, where he says he was an unofficial assistant.
“He was so special in his ability to affect the game, control a game, and come through in the clutch and perform at his best when he needed to be his best,” Slayton recalled.
“We knew there was something very special about him, but a lot of people didn’t see it or get it — whether they misjudge him because he is Asian, people didn’t have the same feelings as we did, and he didn’t get a lot of offers from major colleges.”
Slayton, a physical education teacher at Los Alto’s Pinewood HS, said Lin is a combination of Steve Nash and Magic Johnson.
The latter makes sense, considering Lin’s dad had his son watch videotapes of the great Lakers guard.
“He would watch Magic Johnson as a kid, and now he has that sense that I don’t think a lot of players in his generation have — the ability to make plays for other people,” Slayton said.