The “Linsanity” surrounding Jeremy Lin continues as the New York Knicks point guard was selected as the Hickok Belt Award winner for the month of February. Voting was conducted by a select national panel of members of the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association (NSSA). Lin was selected based on his breakout performance in February in which he came off the bench to lead the injury-riddled Knicks to a 10-5 record for the month. During that stretch, Lin averaged 35.1 minutes, 20.9 points and 8.4 assists while shooting 47.2 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from three point range. That stretch included a career-high 38 points on February 10 versus Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Other finalists for the month of February in order of how the NSSA voters ranked them included: Eli Manning (Hickok Belt Award winner for January), Matt Kenseth, Kevin Durant, Phil Mickelson, Henrik Lundqvist, Kobe Bryant, Steven Stamkos, Roger Federer and Marcel Hirscher.
Jeremy Lin’s selection as the Hickok Belt Award winner for February not only recognizes him as “the best of the best” in professional sports for the month, it also marks another milestone in the return of the award given to the top professional athlete across all sports. As a monthly recipient, Lin becomes the second of twelve finalist for the overall annual award, joining Eli Manning who was selected the Hickok Belt Ward winner for January 2012. Winners as selected by the NSSA will be announced each month throughout 2012. The overall winner will then be announced in early 2013, as the Hickok Belt Award, the crown jewel of sports, will be presented for the first time in over 36 years.
