Jeremy Lin (Photo : Getty Images)
It has been five years since Linsanity happened in New York, but Miami Heat forward Amar'e Stoudemire still remembers how Jeremy Lin's breakthrough career ended in the Big Apple.
Sunday's game between the New York Knicks and the Heat has Stoudemire reminiscent about his stint with the club that waived him last February.
Amar'e Stoudemire had this interesting comment on Jeremy Lin's Knicks tenure: "If he stayed it would've been... https://t.co/cm7bGwlRZ5
— Ohm Youngmisuk (@NotoriousOHM) February 29, 2016
Stoudemire, who signed with the Heat over the summer for a minimum contract, said it would have been "cool" if Lin stayed with the Knick, but also admitted that everyone was not happy about Linsanity, hinting at Anthony's envy over the Harvard graduate's star-bound performance in the 2011-2012 as noted by Marc Berman of the New York Post.
"Jeremy was a great, great guy, great with teammates, worked hard," Stoudemire said, reports ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk.
"We were proud of him having his moment. A lot of times you got to enjoy somebody else's success. That wasn't the case for us during that stretch."
Lin only played 35 games with the Knicks, but posted a career-high average in points (14.6) and shooting percentage (44.6). The 27-year-old guard then joined the Houston Rockets, then the Los Angeles Lakers before ending up with the Charlotte Hornets for the 2015-2016 season.
Lin has failed to recreate Linsanity in any of the team he joined since leaving the Knicks and now continues to lose minutes in Charlotte playing behind Kemba Walker and recently acquired Courtney Lee. But even his role as backup with the Hornets, Lin is still considered as a reliable option for the point guard spot.
Meanwhile, the Heat defeated the Knicks 98-81 during their visit at the Madison Square Garden. Dwyane Wade led Miami with 26 points, while Anthony scored a team-high 25 points for the Knicks who have lost 14 of their last 17 games.
After the loss, Anthony commented back at Stoudemire's accusations about Lin's exit in New York. The 31-year-old superstar said if he wants Lin out back in 2012, he should be upset with Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis too.
"If he was becoming a star, then we should have embraced that," Anthony said, reports Sports Illustrated. "S---, If that were the case, then I'd be upset right now with [Porzingis]. If he's talking about me. I doubt he's talking about me."
