5 years ago today, 'Linsanity' was born

The day was Feb. 4, 2012, and the New York Knicks looked destined for another abysmal season.

After dropping its last two contests - one to the rival Boston Celtics - New York sat near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings, owning a record of just 8-15.

That night, head coach Mike D'Antoni made a seemingly insignificant change to his lineup, handing the backup point guard duties to the seldom-used Jeremy Lin.

To say the decision worked out well would be a massive understatement, as the 6-foot-3 guard pulled off one of the most improbable runs in NBA history during the coming weeks, and took an entire country by storm.

On Feb. 4, 2012, "Linsanity" was born.

It took a few minutes for Lin to assert himself after entering the game near the end of the first quarter, but his performance that night was nothing short of spectacular.

The Harvard product would finish the contest with a game-high 25 points, adding seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals in a 99-92 Knicks victory.

As he continued to dominate in the coming weeks, fans across North America took notice, with then-President Barack Obama even admitting he caught Jeremy Lin fever.

Lin would go on to average 20.9 points and 8.4 assists in February, leading the Knicks to a 10-2 record from Feb. 4 on.

He suited up for the franchise for the last time the following month, as a partially torn meniscus in his left knee brought his season to a halt. He signed a three-year deal with the Rockets that summer, ending his time in the Big Apple.

While it didn't last as long as many had hoped, Lin was able to do something no one had done in years - bring the basketball world's focus back to New York.