The Final Score: Linsanity through local eyes

The first surge of Linsanity is a memory, even if the movement seems far from over. My theory: Jeremy Lin prefers this more understated atmosphere. Today, Lin tallies 14 points, seven assists and two steals against the Mavericks. Today, the Knicks lose. Today, he commits just two turnovers. Today, Carmelo Anthony goes 2-for-12. It's a day-off for Linsanity. Today, Lin is just another NBA player. It's the type of regular game-day Lin wants to see more of. Still, it's just my theory. Be a superstar. Be an oddity. Be singled out for being really talented. Be singled out for being really different. Jeremy Lin is talented and different and special. And somehow, he's connected to all players in Asia. He made it. So can you. He made it. So can other talented, different, special players in the Philippines. Must Lin carry the burden of an entire continent the way Yao Ming did? Should Linsanity embolden Filipinos to seek that superhighway: a path from the Pateros Inter-Barangay League to the NBA? Jeremy Lin inspires. When I watch him drive to the basket, I hope he doesn't make a mistake. I hope he scores. I like his story. It's compelling. It's genuine. He's Asian. I am too. Yet I don’t feel any special connection. That's a good thing. In my eyes, he's a basketball player for the New York Knicks. There's some Willis Reed in him. Maybe there's a Walt Frazier in there too. While I can't detach Lin from his DNA, I can try to place less emphasis on his bloodline and pay more attention to his playmaking. I don't see Yao Ming when I watch Lin. I'm hoping I don't have to. It's a nice dream. Someday, we could watch a basketball version of Manny Pacquiao play in the NBA. He's out there, somewhere. He will make NBA fans realize that Filipinos don't only win by knock-outs; we can also score with slam-dunks. He will conquer North America one three-pointer at a time. Our world will stop whenever his team plays. He will face LeBron James. He will defend Kevin Durant. He will make Linsanity feel like an afterthought. He will validate our insistence to play basketball. Because Raymond Townsend happened centuries ago, the movement needs a new push. Should exceptional grade school or high school players in the Philippines aspire to play in the NBA? Why not? It's a new mindset. It's the way to go global. Yet I hope we don't do it just because we need the NBA stamp of approval. We don't become world-class just because the world finally says so. Our passion for basketball is world-class. It has been for a very long time. To have our own Jeremy Lin in the NBA will be magical. To see Filipinos play in the NBA and not find it odd is the real dream. So I'll continue to watch Lin. He doesn't have to carry a cause, especially not ours. He will be thankful. — GMA News