The New York Knicks have lost 9 out of their last 12 games, indeed.  And their coach resigned after apparently not being able to handle the heat of the Big Apple spotlight.  And while point guard, Jeremy Lin averaged an immaculate 24.4 points per game in his first 7 starts with the Knicks, he has dropped down to 15.5 since.  But despite all the turmoil, the Knicks are still in the playoff hunt, and Jeremy Lin has certainly made his mark on the nation.

Lin's short journey through the NBA has been one of tremendous national interest both on the court and off the court.  Not only has his superior play captured the attention of basketball fans, but his ethnicity and religion off the court seem to really keep people talking.  Yes, he is an Asian American and yes, he is an outspoken Christian.

His Christian background is something that Americans are used to.  Anybody ever heard of a guy named Tim Tebow?  But with all kidding aside, Lin's comments to the media, thanking the Lord after his outstanding performances, and his sometimes biblical posts on his Twitter account have shed light on the fact that he is certainly a religious man.  But this isn't exactly what's new or surprising to the American public.

Being the first ever Asian American to compete in the NBA has come as almost a culture shock for the United States.  Considering Asian Americans have never been this successful in the sport, Lin's successes this season have dubbed him as a pioneer of sorts, and his meteoric rise in popularity have also been met with scorn (intentionally and unintentionally).  There have been insensitive Internet jokes, poor choices for headlines, and numerous controversial conversations involving race and religion.

But negativity aside, what Jeremy Lin has more importantly done for the United States, and for Asian Americans in particular, is he has given them a chance to identify.  Erin Khue Ninh's blog post on ESPN can speak to this much better than myself, considering she is Asian American, but Jeremy Lin has created a community for people to connect with.  Ninh herself even explains that as an American of Vietnamese descent, she looks to Jeremy Lin as the summit of Asian Americans, despite these two not being from the same county.  And this new perceived social identity that Lin has created has taken over the whole nation.

It's allowing Asian Americans to enter a new realm of society - the basketball court.  Who knows how much interest in the game Lin has created for young Asian Americans but in a sport where the group has been underrepresented for years, perhaps Lin has broken new ground.  Only time will tell...

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- Shaun Loughlin