Linsanity!

Layne Murdoch / NBAE / Getty Images

Jeremy Lin #17 of the New York Knicks shoots over Cole Aldrich #45 of the Oklahoma City Thunder on January 14, 2012 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

To measure the immediate sociological impact of Jeremy Lin — the electric New York Knicks point guard who has jolted the NBA — start on the weekend-warrior basketball floor. In a gym near New York City's Chinatown two days after Lin torched the Los Angeles Lakers for 38 points, a group of African-American players prepped for a rec-league game. Most of the competition was Asian American. The message: Ditch the stereotype of the Asian dudes as pesky players who nevertheless won't be hard to beat. "We've got to play these guys," one of the men barked to his teammates. "They might...

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