Stoudemire: 'Everyone wasn't a fan' of Lin as new Knicks star

The basketball world fell in love with overnight sensation Jeremy Lin during his 35-game stint with the New York Knicks in 2011-12. Fans came out in droves to catch a glimpse of Linsanity, as Lin - who was claimed off waivers months into the season - put up insane numbers and the team won nine of 10 games from Feb. 4-19.

He went on to sign a three-year, $25-million contract with the Houston Rockets that summer, and apparently certain members of the Knicks organization were happy to see him go.

Prior to Sunday's Knicks-Miami Heat matchup, Amar'e Stoudemire, who spent five seasons with the Knicks, said some of his ex-teammates didn't take kindly to Lin's ascension in The Big Apple.

"If he stayed it would've been cool," Stoudemire said, according to ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk. "But everyone wasn't a fan of him being the new star. So he didn't stay long.

"But Jeremy was a great, great guy. Great teammate. He put the work in and we're proud of him to have his moment. A lot of times you gotta enjoy someone's success. And that wasn't the case for us during that stretch."

Stoudemire could have been referring to All-Star forward Carmelo Anthony, who called Lin's contract offer from the Rockets "ridiculous" at the time.

Currently suiting up for the Charlotte Hornets, Lin is putting up 11.8 points and 3.2 assists on 41.3 percent shooting for his fifth team in six seasons. He's no longer the global phenomenon he once was, functioning as a backup in a much smaller market.

Nonetheless, no can take away what Lin accomplished during his quick tour with the Knicks. While he never became an All-Star or one of the greats at his position, for a moment in time, Lin was undoubtedly the hottest thing going.