Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow have been phenomenons who transcended their sports this fall and winter. Each helped reverse stumbling franchises; each has extraordinary leadership skills; each is a model of humility and a person of faith. 
 
 But that's about where the similarities end. Lin has shown himself to be a singular talent, scoring more points in his first five starts than any NBA player since the ABA merger, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Tebow ranked 27th in NFL quarterback ratings. 
 
 Sure, Tebow led the Denver Broncos to the playoffs when they were going nowhere, his season highlighted by his third overtime victory in eight starts on Dec. 11, a 13-10 win over the Chicago Bears. Lin, who has started five games now, has led the New York Knicks to six consecutive victories, including the stunning victory Tuesday night over Toronto when he nailed a last-second three-pointer for the win. 
 
 PHOTOS: Jeremy Lin 
 
 Their paths to iconic status, however, have been entirely different. Tebow came into the NFL as one of the most highly publicized rookies ever. He won the Heisman Trophy at Florida, was on a couple of BCS championship teams. He was the quintessential college quarterback. 
 
 To be sure, there were questions about whether he could be an effective NFL quarterback, with his limited passing skills and running-game mentality. But the polarizing quarterback was on everyone's radar. Tim Tebow didn't slip through any cracks. 
 
 Lin played at Harvard, about as far under the radar as a Division I basketball player can get. The Crimson didn't sniff NCAA tournament play; the last time Harvard made it was 1946, 42 years before Lin was born. No NBA team drafted him, and there was little indication in his 29 games with Golden State last season that Lin was anything truly special. 
 
 But once Lin took over the Knicks this season, all that changed. There are still many doubters about Tebow and his long-term effectiveness in the NFL. After the last six games, no one can doubt Lin's potential. 
 
 With the Knicks missing Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony, Lin suddenly emerged in Coach Mike Antoni's point-guard oriented offense. And his self-assurance in waving his teammates back to take the winning three-pointer Tuesday not only showed that he's got exceptional skill, but his confidence is on the same level. 
 
 Now the Knicks await the return of Anthony from his groin injury. But if the way Lin played Tuesday is any indication, dishing out 11 assists to go with his 27 points, it seems unlikely that he won't be able to adapt. Tebowmania swept the sports world last fall; Linsanity is all of that and more. 
 
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 -- Mike James 
 
 Left photo: Tim Tebow. Credit: Barry Gutierrez / Associated Press 
 
 Right photo: Jeremy Lin. Credit: Frank Gunn / Associated Press ||||| TORONTO -- Even after his amazing week, this one took Linsanity to a whole new level. Against Toronto on Tuesday, it was Lin for the win! 
 
 Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with less than a second to play to cap his finishing flurry of six straight points and New York rallied to beat the Raptors 90-87, extending its winning streak to six games. 
 
 "I'm just glad it went like this so we can calm the Linsanity down," cracked Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni. 
 
 No chance of that. The NBA's first American-Taiwanese player, Lin scored 27 points and added a career-high 11 assists in his first game since being named Eastern Conference player of the week. 
 
 "He continues to impress every night," New York's Jared Jeffries said. "Every game he plays better, he does more and more to help us win basketball games. You can't ask any more of a kid coming into this situation." 
 
 While he's the one standing in the spotlight, Lin said sharing success with his teammates is as big a reward. 
 
 "It's not because of me, it's because we're coming together as a team," Lin said. "We started making these steps earlier but we were still losing close games and so obviously it wasn't fun. But when you win, that solves a lot of problems. We've been winning and we've been playing together." 
 
 Making just his fifth career start, Lin had no hesitation in taking the decisive shot. 
 
 "I'm thankful that the coach and my teammates trust me with the ball at the end of the game," he said. "I like having it at the end of the game. I'm just very thankful." 
 
 The season-high crowd of 20,092 roared as Lin shot over Jose Calderon and drained a pull-up jumper from the top with half a second to play, giving the Knicks their first lead since the opening quarter. 
 
 D'Antoni declined to call timeout before Lin's winning shot, saying it would only give the Raptors time to draw up their defense. Even so, D'Antoni was impressed with the calm and confidence Lin showed in letting the clock run down. 
 
 "You just watch and you're in awe," D'Antoni said. "He held it until five tenths of a second left. He was pretty confident that was going in, no rebounds, no nothing. That ball was being buried." 
 
 Toronto's Rasual Butler airballed his attempt at the buzzer as the Knicks swarmed their newest hero at center court. 
 
 "The kid made a great shot," Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. "(Calderon) had to give him space or he was going to give up a driving path and (Lin) made a tough shot." 
 
 But Casey was left steamed at his team's failure to hold a lead, especially after the Raptors made nine turnovers in the final quarter. 
 
 "It should not have come to (Lin's) play," Casey said. "We had some many boneheaded plays to get to that play and to make that play relevant. We should have taken care of business before that." 
 
 Amare Stoudemire returned from a four-game absence with 21 points and Tyson Chandler had 13 for New York. 
 
 Calderon scored 25 points, Linas Kleiza had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan scored 14 for the Raptors. 
 
 Up 75-66 to start the fourth, Toronto widened its lead with a three-point play by Barbosa before the Knicks stormed back with a 10-0 run, cutting it to 78-76 and forcing the Raptors to call timeout with 6:22 remaining. 
 
 Kleiza stopped the run with a driving layup, Amir Johnson added a hook shot and, after Lin made one of two from the line, Barbosa's layup made it 84-77 with 4:49 to go. 
 
 Toronto led 87-82 with less than two minutes to go when Iman Shumpert stole the ball from Calderon and drove in for an uncontested dunk. After a missed shot, Lin completed a three-point play, tying it at 87 with 1:05 left. 
 
 Barbosa missed a 3 for Toronto and, at the other end, Shumpert missed a jumper but Chandler grabbed the rebound. Lin took the ball near midcourt and let the clock run down to 5 seconds before driving and pulling up against Calderon to launch the decisive shot, touching off the latest instance of Linsanity. 
 
 "(Calderon) was trying to push me left," Lin said. "He was giving me a little bit of space. I just tried to take it down as low as I could. I figured it's probably not going to be possible to get to the basket with the help that they had." 
 
 Calderon was surprised to see Lin pull up for the game-winner. 
 
 "I thought he was going to drive," Calderon said. "That's why I tried to give him his left hand but he made a great shot." 
 
 Calderon was held scoreless in the final quarter, with D'Antoni crediting Shumpert for keeping the Toronto guard in check. 
 
 "He did a great job," D'Antoni said. "Shump got on Calderon and changed up everything." 
 
 The Raptors had a photo of Lin on their team website in the hours before the game, and his visit generated major interest among Toronto's Asian community, estimated at over 280,000 people, or more than 11 percent of the local population. The Chinese Canadian Youth Athletics Association and the Taiwanese Canadian Association of Toronto both sent groups of almost 300 fans as Toronto sold out for the second time in 13 home games. One group of fans in the upper deck wore white T-shirts spelling out his name. 
 
 Not all the fans were so positive: Lin was booed several times throughout the game. 
 
 Local media also took note; some 75 reporters and 16 cameras packed a Tuesday morning press conference to hear Lin speak, with dozens more turned away to prevent overcrowding. More than 25 Chinese Canadian journalists were due to cover the game, including one who presented Lin with a book of "Year of the Dragon" stamps from Canada Post and asked him to record a message in Mandarin, which he did. 
 
 Even D'Antoni was shocked by the size of the throng upon walking in Tuesday morning for his turn at the microphone. 
 
 "Are we in the playoffs now?" D'Antoni joked as he made his way to the front of the room. 
 
 It was Calderon, coming off a career-high 30 points in Sunday's loss to the Lakers, who was hot early, scoring 12 points in the first as the Raptors led 28-21 after one. Lin missed his first shot and didn't score until a driving layup with 3:46 left in the first. He had four points and four assists in the opening quarter. 
 
 Lin turned the ball over on three straight possessions early in the second and Toronto took advantage with a 6-0 run, widening its lead to 13 points. He also missed a running bank shot as the half ended as the Raptors took a 47-36 lead into the break. 
 
 Stoudemire scored seven points and Lin had six points and four assists as the Knicks scored 30 points in the third, but still trailed 75-66 heading into the fourth. 
 
 NOTES: Lin matched a career high with eight turnovers. ... Stoudemire returned after missing the past four games following the death of his older brother, Hazell, who was killed in a car crash. ... Raptors G Jerryd Bayless (left ankle) missed his third straight game. Casey said Bayless could be available for Wednesday's game against San Antonio. ... Before the game, Chandler presented Casey with his NBA championship ring. Both were with Dallas last season when they beat Miami. ... Carmelo Anthony (right groin) missed his fourth straight game. ... New York's 17-point comeback was the biggest by a Toronto opponent this season. ... Musician and actor Steven Van Zandt watched from a courtside seat. ||||| Jeremy Lin has taken the Knicks and their fans on a memorable ride. Chris Chambers/Getty Images 
 
 When I first heard that people were comparing Jeremy Lin to Tim Tebow, I assumed they were joking. 
 
 Seriously? Tim Tebow and Jeremy Lin? 
 
 It's not even close, ladies and gentlemen. 
 
 Jeremy Lin was an undrafted player out of Harvard where he never once played in an NCAA tournament game. He qualified for a few postseason awards but never won any. 
 
 Lin was All-Ivy League first team and holds several conference records. That's nice. Then there's Tim Tebow. 
 
 Tim Tebow was the starting quarterback on a Florida team that dominated college football. Tebow started for almost his entire Florida career. Florida was the dominant team in all of college football. Tebow played key roles on two National Championship teams in 2007 and 2009. 
 
 Tebow also won the 2007 Heisman Trophy. 
 
 Lin's Harvard education would automatically eliminate him from "underdog" status if he were pursuing almost any post-college career except for professional sports. 
 
 The University of Florida is to professional sports what Harvard University is to the legal, financial and medical professions. If it's not, then at the very least it's of Ivy League Quality. The Florida men's basketball team won two national titles while Tebow was starring for the football team. Harvard was noticeably absent from the NCAA Finals in both years. 
 
 Tim Tebow led the Broncos on a run to the playoffs last season but his passing numbers were awful. 
 
 Jim Rogash/Getty Images 
 
 When the professional drafts were held, Tim Tebow was chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft. Jeremy Lin? No one drafted him at all. 
 
 Tebow went to the Denver Broncos where he didn't start. He sat on the bench biding his time. Jeremy Lin went to the NBA developmental league, and he was cut by two professional NBA teams as well. 
 
 While Tebow languished on the Broncos bench, his fans ponied up money to buy a billboard in Denver begging the team to start Tebow. Jeremy Lin? No billboards, no underground surge of fan support begging the Knicks to start him. Lin simply sat on the bench until he was asked to play. When he was asked, he responded. 
 
 What really separates Lin from Tebow though is those pesky numbers. Yes, both teams have produced the all-important "wins" with their respective leaders at the helm. 
 
 However, Tebow's Denver team won games through a variety of metrics. Defense and special teams both played key roles in the Broncos' surge. Tebow was the quarterback and emotional leader but he was producing some of the worst passing numbers in the league. That's not denying Tebow credit—it's reality. 
 
 Tim Tebow shows off his 2007 Heisman Trophy 
 
 Chris Trotman/Getty Images 
 
 Lin has also played a key role as an emotional leader of the Knicks over the course of their current six-game win streak. He's also leading the team in both scoring and assists. Lin has scored more points in his first five NBA starts than any NBA player since the 1976 NBA-ABA merger. 
 
 That would be like Tebow leading his team in rushing and passing during Denver's streak—while also breaking a slew of rookie passing records or records for passing in first starts at Quarterback. 
 
 Instead, you have Tebow with a pass completion percentage of 46.5 and Lin shooting 50 percent over the current win streak. For those not completely familiar with both sports a quarterback should be completing a higher percentage of his passes than an NBA player's field goal percentage. 
 
 Lin isn't a one-man team. He is not the only reason that the Knicks are on a winning streak right now. Tyson Chandler and Iman Shumpert have both stepped up their defensive games and Chandler is rebounding at a high rate. Lin may also be slightly aided by the absence of Carmelo Anthony who would be taking many of the shots that Lin has found himself taking. 
 
 The comparison of Lin to Tebow is absurd, mainly because one of the two players is an actual underdog rags-to-riches story and the other quite simply is not. 
 
 What Tebow did this past season in the NFL was miraculous. He led his Broncos team to the playoffs and then produced a dramatic win over the league's best defense in an overtime thriller. That's what teams are paying for when they draft someone in the first round of the NFL Draft. 
 
 What Lin is currently doing with the New York Knicks is far more outside the realm of expectations. We're talking about an undrafted player from a non-traditional college basketball school taking one of the most historically relevant NBA Franchises on a memorable win streak. 
 
 So if you're looking for an NFL underdog story to compare Jeremy Lin to, that's fine. It's not Tim Tebow, though.
– Partly because Jeremy Lin is a man of faith, his crazy-fast ride into sports stardom has led to endless comparisons with Tim Tebow. Well sorry, Tebow fans, but Lin wins this one easily in terms of athleticism and sheer amazement value, writes Mike James at the Los Angeles Times. The young New York Knicks star "has shown himself to be a singular talent, scoring more points in his first five starts than any NBA player since the ABA merger," writes James. (Click here to see video of last night's dramatic game-wnning shot.) Tebow had some late-game heroics for the Broncos, but he was still 27th in the NFL quarterback rankings. Consider, too, that Tebow was Heisman winner and a first-round draft pick on every team's radar, writes Ben Shapiro at Bleacher Report. Lin, not so much. He played for Harvard and got drafted by nobody. Now he's working a relative miracle in New York. "We're talking about an undrafted player from a non-traditional college basketball school taking one of the most historically relevant NBA franchises on a memorable win streak," writes James. "The comparison of Lin to Tebow is absurd, mainly because one of the two players is an actual underdog rags-to-riches story and the other quite simply is not." Click for more.