Jeremy Lin is arguably one of the most popular players in the NBA today. Lin may not be an elite player like fellow teammate Kobe Bryant or superstar LeBron James, but he’s incredibly popular overseas as well as the United States.
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Recently, Lin was honored with a statue at the Conscious 3 Basketball Art Exhibition in Tapei, Taiwan via BallisLife.com:
Paintings, digital work, magazines, but nothing stood out more to me than a Kobe statue with a Black Mamba biting his Achilles….well, actually the Jeremy Lin corner with a statue of Kobe’s new teammate made me stare a little longer.
With Lin now set to play alongside Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, the Asian-American superstar will continue to see his popularity skyrocket around the world. The combination of Kobe and Lin in the Lakers backcourt will instantly make the storied franchise one of the most-watched teams in the league overseas.
Kobe’s popularity in China is second to none and adding Lin to the mix only makes brings that much more attention to the Lakers. The Lakers will usher in a new era at the point guard position next season with the addition of Lin.
Lin was already a star on the rise before heading to Los Angeles after an incredible run with the New York Knicks back in 2012. Linsanity put the young floor general on the map with his popularity increasing every year since.
The real question is whether Lin can rebound from a disappointing stint with the Houston Rockets. Lin lost his starting job to Patrick Beverley last season and will need to make an impression in Los Angeles to earn the role as a starter next season.
With Steve Nash dealing with constant injury problems over the last two years and Jordan Clarkson getting no consideration as the starting point guard, Lin’s chances are good that he’ll be named the starter to start next season.
The Lakers will face the Rockets on Oct. 28 to get the 2014-15 NBA season underway at the Staples Center. It’ll be Kobe’s first game against Dwight Howard and Lin’s first time facing his former team.
[divide]Kobe Bryant’s message to Jeremy Lin