The Jeremy Lin phenomenon has been labeled "Linsanity", but perhaps a more meaningful word to describe the whirlwind now sweeping the globe would be "Linspiration".

This is because the 23-year-old Harvard graduate of Chinese ancestry has inspired millions of young people in the United States and around the world with his example of how to pursue a dream against overwhelming odds.

Lin was continually underestimated. Despite leading his high-school team to success, Lin failed to receive a sports scholarship; and despite being declared among the 12 most versatile players in college basketball by ESPN, the US global cable television network focusing on sports, Lin went undrafted after college.