Two weeks ago, a large percentage of NBA fans had no idea who Jeremy Lin was and what he is able to do. However, this perspective has changed radically in a matter of days. In case you’ve hiding underneath a rock over the last week or so, I have news for you: Jeremy Lin is the new sports sensation.

In just one week, the former Knicks benchwarmer hit the media as the fastest-growing phenomenon in NBA history.  In only nine days, Lin has taken the basketball world by surprise, leading the Knicks to a season-high five-game winning streak and getting literally thousands of followers and fans in a short time.

Lin played his first starring game on February 4th; scoring 25 points in the 95-92 win over the New Jersey Nets.  More recently, the Harvard graduate scored a career-high 38 points during the 95-82 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday, and became a vital player in the 100-98 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves last Saturday night. Thanks to his incredible performance, Lin currently holds a franchise record for points scored in his first three starts since the NBA-ABA merger with 89 points.

Now Lin, who came into the NBA as an undrafted free agent, has sparked the new “Linsanity” and raised hundreds of comparisons to Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow and his “Tebowmania”.  But while Lin and Tebow have very little in common, the Chinese-American player recently fueled the fire by acknowledging that he considers Tebow a role model.  At first glance, the premise for the comparing both players seems way out of base.  The only thing both players may have in common is the fact they have exceeded all expectations and proved to have the ability to fill anyone’s shoes.  

The recent frenzy surrounding Lin and the frequent comparisons with Tebow have catapulted Lin as one the fastest-growing athlete brands in the world. Sales of his number 17 jersey have skyrocketed over the past seven days, in fact, online betting firm WagerWeb.com launched its own Jeremy Lin betting props, including odds on whether his Jersey will be amongst the top 10 sellers this NBA season. Check the current odds for this prop:

Lin Jersey sales rank this season in the NBA?

#10 seller: +550
#9 seller: +600
#8 seller: +650
#7 seller: +700
#6 seller: +750
#5 seller +800
#4 seller +850
#3 seller +900
#2 seller +950
#1 seller +1000
Not in the Top 10 +100

* Results based on NBAstore.com's official best seller jersey list released after the regular season. The sales calculations begin at the start of the NBA season.

'TebowMania' vs. 'Linsanity'

Lin and Tebow have been favored by the media as two of the most popular and respected athletes in recent history, winning the admiration of thousands of fans thanks to their sudden resurgence and active leading role with two struggling teams.  

But while many NBA players have said they “don’t even know what Lin has done”, his growing popularity is also reflected in the team’s recent improvement. The New York Times reports that Lin helped push up television ratings for the Knicks 66% compared to last season. Additionally, tickets for the Knicks’ games have been almost sold out for every game since February 4th.

But while there's still a question about whether or not Lin will be able to become a top NBA star, for some people, “popularity” is a term that can be easily translated into sales.  Now that Lin is in the public eye almost every day of the week and the NFL is in suspended animation, the real question is: Can Lin dethrone Tebow as one of the best selling athletes in professional sports?  Until that happens, here’s another prop bet on the most popular man in the NBA.  For additional Jeremy Lin Props, click here.

Will the Jeremy Lin jersey rank higher in sales than the Tebow’s jersey?

Yes: +600
No: -800

*Tebow Jersey ranked #2 at NFLshop.com from April 1st to December 31st 2011. In order for 'yes' to win Jeremy Lin would need to have the #1 selling Jersey in the NBA this season.

The NBA Lines and Odds above are provided by Wagerweb.com, a leading offshore sportsbook and recommended sponsor at inspin.com. These odds do change so please check their website here.