InfluenceWas Linsanity the start of something, or a phenomenon that will never be duplicated?Both, probably. When Lin came off the bench and took over the NBA for a few weeks in 2012, leading the woeful Knicks to a seven-game winning streak, there was no precedent for an Asian-American player playing such a dominant, spectacular role for an NBA team. What's more, he did it in the world's media capital, and his exploits resonated instantly in New York, from coast to coast and across the globe.Though his career has taken several twists, Lin remains a popular and productive player when healthy, and he has done more than any player other than Yao Ming to force NBA observers to reconsider the talents of players of Asian heritage. -- Royce Webb