Is it possible to quantify the astonishing, inspiring, almost mystical phenomenon known as Linsanity? Mashable contacted some number-crunching social media experts, and the answer is yes.
But first a primer for the somehow still-uninitiated: Jeremy Lin is the New York Knicks point guard who has come to dominate both the NBA and Internet over the past couple of weeks. Overlooked in high school, college and his first year-and-a-half in the NBA, the underdog's humble attitude and shocking rise have given birth to the term Linsanity, which has become a platform for all things Lin-worshipping. His name and the #Linsanity hashtag have trended multiple times on Twitter recently, and he has apparently become the very top "suggested user" on Sina Weibo, Twitter's Chinese equivalent.
But just how much has Lin dominated the online conversation, and what have people been saying most? Let's dig into the numbers. The data show that Lin has eclipsed the game's biggest names, confirms that people love to make puns using his surname, and shows that people prefer him to Denver Broncos quarterback-turned-meme-machine Tim Tebow.
Complete and total domination
According to social analytics firm Topsy, "Jeremy Lin" has been mentioned more than 350,000 times on Twitter in the past week. In the past day, tweeters have mentioned his full name nearly 70,000 times.
On Wednesday, Lin gobbled up .32% of all online conversations, according to the research company NM Incite. That was a rise from zero just twelve days prior, and more than the entire Knicks team and megastars Kobe Bryant and LeBron James combined. For a fuller picture, check out the graphic below:
Data from the buzz-monitoring SocialGuide reinforces this, too. On Feb. 4, when Lin had his first breakout performance, the #Knicks hashtag was mentioned about 18 times more than the #Linsanity tag. On Feb. 8, #Linsanity barely passed #Knicks, with 7,836 mentions compared to 7,372. On Feb. 14, #Knicks was tweeted 16,828 times. #Linsanity? 55,068 tweets.
Splicing the overwhelmingly positive data
NM Incite reports that 23% of Lin-related conversation over past couple weeks has revolved around humor or puns, while 22% mention Linsanity, and 17% draw comparisons to Bryant or James. Mentions of his Asian heritage and comparisons to Tebow clock in at 6% each.
Multiple sources confirm that the online reaction to Lin has been overwhelmingly positive. Analytics company Netbase reports that mentions of "Jeremy Lin" across the entire web, mentions of "Jeremy Lin" on Twitter, and mentions of "Linsanity" on Twitter have all hovered around 80% percent positive. The main Lindictments have been that he is overrated and getting too much credit.
Here's a graphic showing where the conversation has originated across the web ("microblogs" refers to Twitter, "social networks" to Facebook):
More loved (or less hated) than Tebow
When people have talked about Lin on Twitter during the past two weeks, they have also been more positive than when discussing Tebow in December and early January. According to Topsy, the Lin conversation has trended around 70% positive, peaking near 80%, and never dropping below 60% since Feb. 3. By contrast, the Tebow Twitter talk from Dec. 1 through Jan. 15 averaged closer to 60% and dipped as low as 50%. Check out these two graphics from Topsy for the fuller picture:
But enough from us. What does this data tell you about Linsanity? Let us know in the comments.
BONUS GALLERY: The Jeremy Lin Meme Roundup
The classic.
This shows injured Knicks point guard Baron Davis holding Lin aloft on Pride Rock as the team's (former) superstars Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire look on.
Lin said he prefers just "Jeremy," but that if he had to pick this might be his favorite name pun since he used to play Super Nintendo as a kid.
Lin rose to stardom when Anthony (number 7) and Stoudemire (number 1) were out with injuries. But Lin (number 17) more than filled the gap.
One fan made this sign riffing on Toy Story character Buzz Lightyear's signature phrase.
Someone else made a more official version.
Lakers star Kobe Bryant took a subtle dig at Lin before their match-up last Friday by saying he was unaware of the all the hysteria. But Lin got the last laugh by scoring 38 points to lead his Knicks to victory.
The NBA says that it is "Where Amazing Happens." In light of recent events, however, it may be time to update that slogan.
Combining Lin's last name with that of teammate Iman Shumpert leads to the ultimate dance song-themed pun.
DJ Khaled should be proud.
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