"Linsanity 2" may happen as Jeremy Lin prepares to play with Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lin is currently in Taiwan on a vacation with his family. He was recently traded to the Lakers by the Houston Rockets, which made him more popular in the area, especially among Asian-Americans. Lin shared that he was excited to join the Lakers and play with veterans like Bryant, Nash and Carlos Boozer, who was also recently traded by the Chicago Bulls.
In a report by Cross Map, Lin said, "Joining the Lakers provides me with a great opportunity to play a bigger role for the team."
According to Lakers Nation, Lin was asked how he planned to work with Kobe at the same time keeping his sights on winning. He replied, "Kobe wants to win and I want to win. I think Kobe wants his teammates to train hard and I will train hard. I hope he can respect me and we can collaborate well together." He also expects to learn a lot about staying fit from Nash and Bryant.
Lin is expected to have more playing minutes especially when Nash's health, at 40 years old, is still uncertain and rookie Jordan Clarkson still needs more time to acclimatize with the Lakers and to his point guard position. Lin will have an active role in creating plays for Bryant and other re-signed Lakers like Jordan Hill, Nick Young, Ryan Kelly, Xavier Henry and Wesley Johnson.
The Lakers tried and failed to acquire small forward Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks and previously lost Pau Gasol in exchange for Carlos Boozer. The transfer of Lin garnered mixed reactions from fans although it featured one advantage of maintaining the financial flexibility of the Los Angeles Lakers as the team continues to rebuild. The Lakers are ultimately planning to acquire either Kevin Love or Kevin Durant in a couple of years.
Lin added that he adapted to the constant changing of teams. "I have learned to play without pressure. I used to be obsessive about my performances, but I have learned to play only for God now." A devout Christian, Lin said that he depends on God whom he believes has a great plan for him. He said, "I did not know (the Rockets) would sign up big stars like Dwight Howard and that I would become a bench player." He shared that his tenure with the Rockets made him more competitive.