Jeremy Lin's presence is in the race for the two All-Star starting nods in the Western Conference backcourt means two things: He's a star in his own right, at the same time, a thorn on James Harden's All-Star starting bid.
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin has surprisingly kept on racking up significant volume of votes, which put him in the thick of the race for a Western Conference All-Star starting spot after the result of second returns of NBA All-Star balloting was announced on Thursday.
While Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant and Golden State Warriors Stephen Curry are looking like a lock to start for the West in the mid-season classic, the more than 120,000 votes casted for Lin is a legit proof that he has already established himself as a major global ambassador for the sport.
In a league where production and showmanship of overall basketball nuances are chief requirements for All-Star consideration, the 26-year old Lin has become an exception the past three seasons.
Roughly three years since his inspiring run with the New York Knicks that caught the attention of millions of hardcore basketball fans around the world and broke the stereotype that doomed Asian hoops prodigies for many years, Lin's unique rags-to-riches story and his stern devotion to his Christian faith continue to be fascinating up to this point.
Although Lin's production dipped significantly each in the past three seasons, his popularity hasn't shown any sign of slowing down, particularly in Asian countries - which is steadily becoming a major contributor to NBA's economy.
Therefore, it's safe to assume that the NBA itself is capitalizing on Lin's growing presence in Asia, driving more profit-generating ventures (NBA café, merchandizing, TV deals) with Lin basically replacing Yao Ming as the face of that market.
In a Western Conference loaded with top-caliber guards, it would take a lot from Lin to bump the likes of Curry, James Harden, Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson out of contention just to showcase his talent in an All-Star game. However, his impact on the All-Star balloting for the two Western Conference starting backcourt slots has been immense, as his presence in the race is preventing former Houston Rockets and current NBA's leading scorer James Harden from narrowing the gap between him (516,514) and Bryant (694,655).
Lin might not be an "All-Star," but he's already a superstar in his own special way with all the achievements and followers he has gained, albeit an up-and-down roller-coaster ride.
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