MILWAUKEE — Jeremy Lin is a wanted man in the NBA.
Opposing point guards and marketing departments all want a piece of the Knicks point guard.
The Bucks ran ads in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and on electronic billboards featuring Lin, who has become an instant cultural icon. That's good for ticket sales, but not necessarily good for Lin, who has become a marked man.
"I don't know if it is me or maybe the Knicks," Lin said on Friday. "Maybe all of us. I don't know. But teams definitely come after us and play hard against us. We've had a little bit of media attention and that may have a little to do with that."
All that attention, however, has its drawbacks. Opponents take it as a source of pride to outplay Lin, who almost overnight went from anonymous to being one of the league's most popular players. After Lin was manhandled by the Miami Heat two weeks ago, Carmelo Anthony told his teammate that he was now on every team's "scouting report."
Lin was roughed up by the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday — the same team that he torched for 28 points and 14 assists 10 days earlier. In fact, Jason Kidd floored Lin with a hard foul to the head. Mike D'Antoni argued that a flagrant should have been called and instead the head coach was whistled for a technical foul.
"Now, I know what to expect," he said. "I haven't been around very long but I've learned that they're going to come after me and come after us every single night."
The attention Lin is receiving could potentially create jealousy inside the Knicks locker room. Thus far Lin's teammates don't seem to have a problem with the second-year player from Harvard stealing the spotlight.
Lin's presence has meant fewer interview obligations for Amar'e Stoudemire and Anthony, who was not available on Friday morning during the media access period.
The team's two highest-paid and most accomplished players are fine with the media surrounding Lin's locker. Lin, though, is savvy enough to understand his place on the team which is why he routinely praises his coaches and teammates during his interviews.
"I think as a team I wish credit was more distributed evenly according to what we do," Lin added. "I think a lot of it has unnecessarily fallen on me. This team has done a great job and we stayed together."
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