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Charles Barkley: Knicks Stupid To Let Jeremy Lin Get Away
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 21, 2012
Modified Jul 21, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 21, 2012
Modified Jul 21, 2012
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Jeremy Lin is, for better or for worse, a Houston Rocket now. While some devoted Knicks fans are insistent that this latest moment in a series of unfortunate events won't deter them from rooting at Madison Square Garden, some believe that that the Knicks messed up by allowing Lin to court other offers. Former basketball player and TNT hoops analyst "Sir" Charles Barkley told ESPN, "I think the Knicks made a mistake in letting him get an offer sheet. They can't come back and complain later"—but the Knicks do that so well!
He went on, "He was their guy, they should have made him an offer. They can't let him go out and get an offer sheet.... The Knicks just blew it by letting him get on the open market and [Houston] gave him a great offer sheet and [the Knicks] didn't match it."
As for criticism that Lin, who started 25 games, wasn't worth the money—a whopping $25 million over three years—the Daily News' Frank Isola—who was not spared Lin from his criticism—Tweeted, "Amazing that players have criticized Jeremy Lin's contract. Don't remember that same outrage over Jerome James or Ben Gordon," and "The nerve of Jeremy Lin to try and make as much money as he can. I think that puts him in the same boat as 98 percent of the NBA."
Tagged
basketball
charles barkley
houston rockets
jeremy lin
knicks
linsanity
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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