Even though point guard Jeremy Lin is not expecting a "Linsanity 2" to happen, his fans in Taiwan think otherwise.
In a report by Lakers Nation, overseas fans honored Lin by having a statue of the player built at the Conscious 3 Basketball Art Exhibition in Taiwan's capital city, Taipei.
The statue, according to Lakers Nation, appeared like it was plated with shiny chrome material and was no more than two and a half feet tall. It was placed over a wooden table and surrounded by other creative paintings of Lin. The statue featured Lin with a fierce look on his face with his mouth open as he dribbles the glimmering miniature basketball.
Although Jeremy Lin is not as famous as Kobe Bryant or Kevin Durant, he certainly has avid supporters in China and Taiwan, most likely because of his Asian roots. Lin is preparing to play together with superstar Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers after he was transferred from the Houston Rockets.
Another factor which may have helped Lin's popularity overseas is Bryant's fame in China. Having Lin and Bryant wear the purple and gold uniform only intensifies the love they get from Asian basketball fans.
According to Asam News, Asian fans did not forget to make a statute of the Black Mamba in China, too. The honorary piece is located just outside the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, measuring under 27 x 20 x 20 inches. Another statue of Kobe was displayed at the art exhibition where he appears to be naked, having his nether regions covered only by a giant snake wrapped around his body. The miniature statue featured Kobe in a dunking position, in an article by Balls Is Life.
Lin shared his excitement about playing with Kobe and the rest of the team, writes Bleacher Report. Experts expect Lin's popularity to rise especially now that he is playing with one of the premier teams in the NBA. He also commented about fans expecting "Linsanity 2", "I'm not trying to relive that banner season. It's been a huge weight off my shoulders. I'm not trying to recreate Linsanity or be that phenomenon that happened in New York. I just want to be myself more than ever."
He added, "I feel the least amount of pressure on my shoulders now than I ever have. I put a lot of pressure on myself to be that player [in Houston]. Now my goal is I'm not trying to be a player from the past."