BEIJING-The sensational emergence of Chinese-American player Jeremy Lin has provided a much-needed boost for the NBA in China following Yao Ming's retirement last summer.

Though he was born in the United States and speaks few Chinese words, the 23-year-old New York Knicks point guard has become a darling of the Chinese media and fans, who switched their attention to the domestic league due to the NBA's lockout last year and a lack of Chinese faces in the world's premier league.

Lin has averaged 26.8 points in his past five games, highlighted by a career-high 38 in the Knicks' victory over the Los Angeles Lakers last Friday, and his influence on the Chinese-American community has been compared to that of All-Star center Yao.