“The tumult and the shouting dies; the captains and the kings depart:” and so Jeremy Lin departs for the Houston Rockets after a brief but glorious stint with the Knicks.

Amar’e Stoudemire mourned the death of his brother and Carmelo Anthony was out with a groin strain, when Lin brought the Knicks’ season back to life in February with an 8-1 run. His star began to fade a little when he sat out a torn meniscus, despite declaring his knee 85 percent. He also drew some criticism for revamping an offer from Houston after the Knicks had already told him they would match the offer first made. In spite of it all, however, Lin’s appeal to the fans never really went away.

It must be acknowledged that one player does not a team make. The Knicks would not have made the playoffs without a 12-5 burst down the stretch. They were a half-game ahead of the Bucks for the last playoff slot on March 24, one game under .500. They finished six games over. Lin wore civilian clothes on the sidelines for all of this. Once again, he demonstrated wisdom beyond his years. Older, more experienced players said: stay off the torn meniscus. Stay out now, no matter the standings, and extend your career. Preserve your body and be an asset to a team, not a brokendown liability. Lin listened.

Lin will prove his value to the Rockets, we are sure. We are also sure the Havardeducated Lin will show his fans, especially the younger ones, that basketball is one part of their lives and that even if one never makes the pros, playing a sport that one loves can open the door to a myriad of opportunities for a well-lived life.

Hail and farewell, Jeremy Lin. Your story of playing and prevailing and grace under pressure lets us hope to follow our dreams, whatever they may be.