Jeremy Lin Trade Update: ‘Linsanity’ Eager to Train With Kobe Bryant, Excited to Play for Los Angeles Lakers

By John Santisteban | Jul 19, 2014 02:53 PM EDT

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Jeremy Lin will look to help the Los Angeles Lakers bounce back from a disappointing season, and the newly-traded point guard is eager to train alongside superstar guard Kobe Bryant.

In a recent interview, Lin said that he is excited with the opportunity of training with Bryant, saying that they share the same passion for winning.

"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," Lin said via Yahoo Sports.

Lin, who averaged 12.5 points to go along with 4.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game last season, was traded to the Lakers along with a future first-round pick from the Houston Rockets, who have been shopping the four-year veteran since last season's trade deadline.

The 25-year-old point guard will be playing in the final year of his contract that pays him around $15 million next season with a cap hit of around $8.4 million is looking forward to playing a big role with the Lakers next season.

Lin said that he is very excited to play in Los Angeles where he could become the team's starting point guard, especially if two-time Most Valuable Player Steve Nash continues to be hobbled by different injuries.

"I am very excited to join the Lakers," Lin said. "I think this is a very good opportunity. I hope I can make a bigger contribution. I hope I can play a more important role."

The Palo Alto, California native is hoping to contribute in Los Angeles. He had his best season in 2012 with the New York Knicks where he averaged 14.6 point to go along with 6.2 assists - the same year his incredible run, dubbed as 'Linsanity' happened.

Kobe Bryant has yet to talk about what he thinks of Lin, but the superstar guard recently said that he is happy with the moves made by the Lakers this season, which includes Lin's acquisition from the Rockets.

Aside from Lin, the Lakers also acquired Carlos Boozer and Ed Davis along with rookies Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson. They made a run at signing LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, but James went back to the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Anthony stayed with the New York Knicks.

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