On Feb. 4, 2012, an undrafted Harvard guard came off the bench for the New York Knicks against the New Jersey Nets and scored 25 points. Nobody saw it coming. What even fewer could have predicted was that it wasn’t a one-night burst, but the start of a remarkable stretch that would captivate the basketball world. Now, fourteen years after that run ended and he last walked through the Garden as one of its own, Jeremy Lin is coming back, this time as a fan, as the Finals return to MSG.

“I will be going back as a spectator for the first time ever,” he confirmed to the New York Post. “After leaving the Knicks, I did play against them multiple times, but I have never been back to the Garden as a spectator. This will be my first time in 14 years back at the Garden, not as an opposing player. I can’t wait. I won’t be courtside, but I will be in the first two rows.”

The former NBA player confirmed that he will be at MSG for Games 3 and 4, which could very well determine the outcome of the Finals. For many Knicks fans, though, his return raises a different question: why did it take 14 years for Jeremy Lin to come back as a spectator?

The answer is not as sinister as one might think. The franchise had extended invitations to Lin for years, but the reunion never really aligned due to his schedule. After his breakout in New York, Lin’s career carried him across the NBA with multiple franchises before continuing overseas in China and Taiwan. Even a championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 and years of professional commitments kept him away from Madison Square Garden. That changed only after he stepped away from the game.

He only announced his retirement in August 2025 at the age of 37. This season, in fact, is his first away from professional basketball, and so he finally had the bandwidth to accept the Knicks’ long-standing invitation. And alongside that return, he has also stepped into a new role.

Earlier, ESPN announced Lin as a Finals studio analyst for the duration of the Knicks-Spurs series. It was his first major network role after a trial appearance on NBA Today in March. Following the Knicks’ thrilling Game 2 win, Lin was on ESPN as part of the SportsCenter crew with Scott Van Pelt. However, after the invite from his former franchise, he will be at MSG cheering on the Knicks, who will be gunning to clinch Game 3 and register their 14th consecutive win of the playoffs.

“A big shoutout to the Knicks, they have been really adamant and consistent about trying to get me to go back to a game,” Lin said. “I’ve always had the desire. It’s not that I didn’t want to, I was just always still playing … I won’t be courtside, but I will be in the first two rows.”

That being said, even after leaving New York, Lin’s connection to Madison Square Garden never really disappeared. Lin’s last game as a Knicks player at the Garden was against the Detroit Pistons in 2012. He scored 13 points and added three assists on the night. However, he suffered a serious meniscus injury during that game and missed out on the playoffs. In the offseason, the Knicks had the right to match any offer for Lin as he was a restricted free agent, but they decided to stay put on their decision, which resulted in him joining the Houston Rockets on a three-year, $25 million deal.

What remained in New York, however, was “Linsanity,” the six-week stretch that turned an undrafted reserve into one of the most unlikely stars in sports.

With their star Carmelo Anthony out due to a groin injury, the Knicks’ fanbase needed someone to spark their offense. That is exactly what Lin did, which is why the arena was loud and cheering at every move of his, especially when he came up against the great Kobe Bryant.

“During the Linsanity run, in the game against Kobe and the Lakers, the Garden was so loud that I genuinely, legitimately looked down at my feet to see if I was hovering,” he said in the interview. “It felt like I was a half-inch off the ground because it was so loud and the energy was so hyped. It almost felt like an out-of-body experience.” 

Eventually, that run saw Jeremy Lin start games for the Knicks, where he led the team to a 15-10 record during his stretch as a starter. The run made him the first American player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to start in the NBA and generated global coverage that transcended basketball entirely.

A lot had been made about the “Linsanity” run, with many calling it a fluke. All of that was going to be put to the test against Bryant when the Knicks met the LA Lakers at the Garden on February 10, 2012. To make things more difficult, Lin was without two of the franchise stars in Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire. The reason why the MSG erupted, as Lin described, was because he dropped 38 points and led the Knicks to a 92-85 victory.

A similar eruption could be expected this time when Lin visits MSG, as this is the first time the Finals are going to be played there since 1999.

Knicks star acknowledges what the Linsanity run meant to him

The run was also the first basketball memory for many in that generation. One among them was Karl-Anthony Towns.

“I truly want to give a shoutout to Jeremy Lin because he really made me a Knicks fan and had me at Modell’s,” Towns said. “It was crazy trying to find his jersey. I have so much love for Jeremy Lin. He’s one of my favorite Knicks of all time, one of my favorite players of all time.”

When “Linsanity” hit New York, Towns was still in high school. While Lin played a significant role in keeping the Knicks afloat with Carmelo out, Towns helped St. Joseph’s High School win a state championship.

With Lin present at the Garden, KAT will be hoping to put up another big performance for the franchise. So far in the series, he has averaged 19.5 points and 12.5 rebounds. What has been even more impressive is what Towns has done on defense, guarding Victor Wembanyama. His size and physicality have made it tough for the Frenchman to score with ease, which has thereby made things a little difficult for the Spurs. While he is averaging 27 points over two games, he is shooting 40.5% from the field and already has 10 turnovers.

With Lin and many other A-listers expected, MSG will be the loudest it has been all year. KAT and the entire roster have the opportunity to take a 3-0 lead and get only one win closer to bringing the NBA championship back to New York after 53 years.