Jeremy Lin pays tribute to Godfrey Gao ahead of All-Star game, reveals NBA championship ring
- The 31-year-old dominates fan and media attention at Chinese Basketball Association weekend in Guangzhou
- Reveals NBA championship ring won with Toronto Raptors as he vows ‘to make more history in 2020’
Lin was asked about the suit he was wearing to the All-Star Weekend opening dinner on Friday and said it was a gift from Gao, the Taiwanese-Canadian model and actor who died aged 35 in December.
“This is to pay tribute to my brother Gao Yixiang [Godfrey Gao]. He gave me the suit," Lin said.
Avid basketball fan Gao took part in Lin’s previous celebrity charity exhibition matches, while Lin has also spoken of the support the actor showed him when he was recovering from the injury that made him miss a whole NBA season.
The Beijing Ducks star wore shoes with images of himself and Gao alongside messages of “RIP Godfrey” and “Always brothers” in his first game after Gao’s sudden death while filming in China.
Lin has been the subject of most media attention during the weekend, which has included photoshoots for the teams, sponsorship commitments and a trip to the zoo. He has also been swamped by fans.
The weekend climaxes with the All-Star game on Sunday evening when the 31-year-old will line up for the North after claiming the most public votes for the team, second to the South’s Yi Jianlian overall.
The pair were also judges of Sunday afternoon’s dunk contest.
The game will be his first of the year after sitting out the Beijing Ducks’ victories over Tianjin Pioneers and Shanghai Sharks, which sandwiched a loss to the Shandong Heroes.
The Ducks sit sixth on the CBA standings, with a 17-9 record for the season.
Lin also revealed his NBA championship ring on Instagram after getting it shipped to China, seven months after winning the NBA Finals with the Toronto Raptors.
“Great ending to 2019, time to make more history in 2020,” he wrote.
