Classic inspirational story: Jeremy Lin, the God of Football
Article/Li Yan
“Linsanity” turned out to light up the entire NBA. At the same time, businesses around the world are vying for Jeremy Lin. "Forest cyclones" are continuing to sweep the world.
In February 2012, a young man named Jeremy Lin suddenly became popular. Even the Martians know his name. From America, which worships personal heroes, halfway across the world, to China, which is rich in fans, everyone is talking about him.
The American "Times" even used the title "Linsanity" to praise Jeremy Lin for lighting up the entire NBA. Obama called Jeremy Lin's story a great legend that "transcends the sport itself."
A top Harvard student, Chinese-American, NBA player... Before February 4, few people knew the name Jeremy Lin, but after the New York Knicks' magical seven-game winning streak, everything changed. As the NBA's slogan says, "Miracles are born here." After being bombarded by the media, "Linsanity" has swept the world. After Yao Ming retired, Chinese fans found another idol they were crazy about.
Suddenly became popular before being laid off
Jeremy Lin's experience of becoming famous is very much like a fairy tale of "an ugly duckling turns into a swan".
Jeremy Lin is a purely Chinese-American. His parents are from Taiwan, and his family believes in Christianity. Jeremy Lin was born in San Francisco on August 23, 1988, the second of three Lin brothers.
Before February 4 this year, Jeremy Lin was just an athlete that almost no one wanted to take in. He had been on the bench for ten years and even had a record of being laid off twice.
On July 21, 2010, Jeremy Lin signed a contract with the Golden State Warriors, becoming the first Chinese American to land in the NBA. However, Jeremy Lin's life with the Warriors was not easy. He was sent to the NBDL (NBA Development League) three times. On December 9, 2011, on the first day of training camp, the Warriors waived Jeremy Lin.
Subsequently, Jeremy Lin signed a contract with Yao Ming’s former home team, the Houston Rockets. However, just ten days later, the Rockets waived Jeremy Lin.
Soon, Jeremy Lin signed with the New York Knicks as a substitute. On February 4, local time, Jeremy Lin came on as a substitute in a home game against the New Jersey Nets, and the miracle began on this day.
On that day, Jeremy Lin got a chance to play temporarily. He may not have known that the Knicks had considered giving up Jeremy Lin before his contract became a guaranteed contract on February 10 in order to sign a new contract. players. Unexpectedly, Jeremy Lin made a surprise move. He turned the tide and scored 25 points in the game. Its unexpected outbreak was shocking and attracted global attention.
More importantly, the Knicks defeated the Nets. Before that, the Knicks had lost 13 of the first 15 games. If they had not won this game, coach Dandong It has long been a certainty that Ni will be dismissed from get out of class. ．
Today, with his outstanding performance, Jeremy Lin has led the New York Knicks to 7 consecutive victories and broken many league records. According to official statistics, in his first three NBA career starts, Jeremy Lin scored 89 points, breaking the NBA's best record since 1977. On February 17, NBA official Weibo announced that Jeremy Lin was officially selected for the All-Star Rookie Game.
Jeremy Lin's fiery performance has won him countless fans, and his limelight has already overshadowed the stars Anthony and Stoudemire. Jeremy Lin has received many nicknames since his "birth", such as "Wonder Kid", "Linsanity", "Super Lin Paradise"... The fans' pursuit of him is evident. ( ) The "Lin Cyclone" is continuing to blow through American society and the Chinese world.
At the same time, Jeremy Lin has become the focus of global attention. Well-known media such as Time, Sports Illustrated, and Daily Sports News in the United States have put Jeremy Lin on their covers, and the Chinese-American "Big Boy" Already unstoppable!
The battle for Jeremy Lin
In the week when he broke out, the S&P 500 index rose by less than 1%. The stock price of Madison Square Garden, a partner of the Knicks, It rose from US$29.77 to US$32.01, and the new market value reached US$168 million. The ratings for Knicks games nationwide increased by 66%.
Forbes said that Jeremy Lin has become the sixth sports cash cow in the world with a brand value of US$14 million.
Not only that, NBA rising star Jeremy Lin, whose net worth has soared, has also become the focus of online speculation. Some netizens discovered that Jeremy Lin’s pinyin domain name has been auctioned online. The latest bid has exceeded 300,000 yuan, and its price has soared more than three thousand times. At the same time, a sports company in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, seeing "business opportunities", paid 4,460 yuan to register the "S.H. Jeremy Lin" trademark. Jeremy Lin's name is very popular.
After "Basketball" Jeremy Lin, a "wealth" Jeremy Lin will soon emerge, and the Nuggets battle around his value is beginning.
It is reported that Jeremy Lin has paid a fee of US$1,625 and applied in the United States on February 14 for the right to use the trademark "Linsanity" on all types of clothing, including underwear, toys, beverages, bags, etc. .
But the outbreak of "Linsanity" in terms of trademarks seems not early enough - two California businessmen have previously registered the "Linsanity" trademark. One of them applied on February 7th; the other on February 9th.
However, it still seemed a little late for these two people to take action.
As early as two years ago, a sports goods company in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province applied for the "Jeremy Lin" trademark in China and announced the registration on August 7 last year. The registration scope includes clothing, shoes, hats, and entertainment products. , toys, sporting goods, etc. The registration period is 10 years, that is, until 2021.
There are also sponsors who are "staring" at Jeremy Lin. On February 16 this year, Peak CEO Xu Zhihua personally led a team to New York in an attempt to "renew their relationship" with him.
"After Yao Ming retires, we all hope that an Asian hero will succeed him." The person in charge of Peak's public relations department said with a smile, "The company has no precedent of a CEO personally negotiating a contract." It is understood that if Peak and Jeremy Lin Successfully signed a contract with an endorsement fee of US$4 million.
In addition to Peak, companies such as Li Ning, Anta, and 3610 are also rumored to be throwing hydrangeas at Jeremy Lin.
However, although Peak once gave Jeremy Lin special shoes to try on, he is currently wearing Nike-Nike signed him during the 2010 season.
There are also lucky ones. In May last year, a Chinese automobile company that invited Jeremy Lin to participate in the "NBA Caravan" event really "bought a dark horse stock." Hollywood is eyeing Jeremy Lin
At the beginning, people expected Yao Ming's arrival, but few people expected Jeremy Lin's emergence. Therefore, in the United States and China, fans' enthusiasm for Jeremy Lin's brand is growing rapidly.
Some people believe that Jeremy Lin’s popularity is due to the “Chinese elements”. Famous angel investor Xue Manzi believes: "Today, those who love Mozart may not know that he is Austrian, and those who love Beethoven don't care if he is German. But if Jeremy Lin didn't have a Chinese face and a Chinese name, , will never be so popular in China."
"Yao Ming's height is irreplaceable by anyone, and Jeremy Lin is an ordinary Chinese boy. He has nothing different from other Americans. Even lagging behind in terms of talent, the significance of Jeremy Lin's success is that any Chinese-American who wants to achieve something through hard work will follow his example," analysts believe.
Jeremy Lin’s Christian faith is also a sign that he is more recognized by American society than Yao Ming. In fact, the word "God" often appears in Jeremy Lin's Weibo, and the three brothers of the Lin family - the eldest brother Joshua (Lin Shuya), the third brother Joseph (Lin Shuwei) and Jeremy (Jeremy Lin), actually all come from the "Bible" the name of the person in.
The most direct beneficiary of "Linsanity" sweeping the world is none other than the Knicks, where Jeremy Lin plays. After Jeremy Lin's explosive performance, he received a guaranteed contract from the team. At the same time, his commercial value also rose with the "wind". Anything related to him would rise with the tide. "Forbes" magazine predicts that if he can maintain his outstanding performance and continue into next season, Jeremy Lin's economic value in the 2012-2013 season can reach a total of 150 million U.S. dollars, of which he himself may receive 10 million to 20 million U.S. dollars in endorsement income.
Jeremy Lin’s days of “sofa guest” are finally over.
Famous Hollywood producer Steve Ticher (whose works include "The Pursuit of Happiness", "Two Smoking Barrels", etc.) said that he wants to put Jeremy Lin's struggle story on the screen so that more people can read it. Learn the "power of dreams".
The story of Jeremy Lin is the freshest inspirational story in the NBA today. Yao Ming commented: "This is simply the story of the Frog Prince. He has a powerful force in him."