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Jeremy Lin’s Chinese social media success expected to grow but can he catch Kobe Bryant? Annual Red Card Report shows benefits of China strategy for NBA teams
- New Beijing Ducks signing was NBA’s most popular active player over the last year ahead of Stephen Curry again
- Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and LA Lakers remain in front of NBA champion Toronto Raptors
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NBA champion Jeremy Lin is the most popular basketball player on Chinese social media, according to Shanghai-based sports marketing agency Mailman.
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Its 2019 Red Card annual report into the social media presence of NBA players and teams in China sees the former Toronto Raptors man top the list of active players, staying ahead of Stephen Curry for a second successive year.
Lin has since left the NBA and signed for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association, a move which should see his popularity in the country soar and allow Curry to reclaim his crown as the most popular NBA player.
The annual report takes into account the number of followers, follower growth and engagement across Chinese social media platforms Sina Weibo, Douyin and Toutiao.
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Lin’s success is partly down to his status as the most popular of all sports stars on video platform Douyin, known as Tik Tok outside China, where he announced his move to the Beijing Ducks earlier this week.
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