A portmanteau that combines the surname Lin with the noun "insanity," used in reference to the unexpected and sudden triumph of the Asian-American NBA player, Jeremy Lin, who rose from being an otherwise unknown point guard to an internationally lauded basketball superstar in just 14 days. "Linsanity," in a sense, exemplifies the insane amount of support for Jeremy Lin that has popped up among devoted fans worldwide.

Lin's overnight success has become such a phenomenon that, in many ways, it has profoundly shaken the establishment in which politics, conformity, connexions and stereotyping trounce innate talent and devotion. Used in this sense, "Linsanity" also describes the act of challenging accepted norms and working hard to achieve one's goals in spite of unfavorable, if not impossible, circumstances.