Jeremy Lin is lighting it up online, just as he has on the court for the New York Knicks.
Online mentions of the point guard went from zero before Feb. 4, when he was inserted into the team's starting lineup, to 0.32% of all online conversation on Feb. 15, more than the Knicks, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant combined, according to NM Incite, a Nielsen/McKinsey company.
Based on NM Incite's analysis of online conversation about Lin — on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and other sites — the buzz on Lin is 50% positive, significant since, in general, most online buzz is neutral. In Lin's case, about one-third (32%) is neutral and 13% is negative, the firm says.
Among the positive Lin buzz, the most popular topics include humor (23% of Lin's buzz), "LinSanity" (22%) and comparisons to veteran NBA players Kobe Bryant and LeBron James (17%).
Also noted: There has been a 73% increase in New York viewership of Knicks games on MSG and ESPN and the Feb. 10 ESPN national broadcast of the Knicks-Los Angeles Lakers game drew just more than 3 million viewers — the network's most-watched Friday night NBA telecast this season.
For more on Lin and his effect in the sports marketing world, check out the story, "How much is 'Linsanity' worth?" or go to the Jeremy Lin topics page.