Jeremy Lin Inspired By 'Polarizing Figure' Tim Tebow
Jeremy Lin's amazing performance with the New York Knicks has some sports fans swapping "Tebow Mania" for " Linsanity." But one fan of Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow is unwavering in his devotion: Jeremy Lin himself. "The things he says in interview, his approach to the game, is just unbelievable," Lin, a fellow devout Christian, said in a recent interview. He also commended Tebow for using his celebrity status to promote charity work off the field. Reuters

Jeremy Lin's amazing plays for the New York Knicks has some sports fans swapping Tim Tebow Mania for Jeremy Linsanity.

But one fan of the Broncos quarterback is unwavering in his devotion: Jeremy Lin himself.

Admiration For 'Polarizing Figure'

[Tim Tebow's] such a polarizing figure, but I think the things he says in interviews, his approach to the game, is just unbelievable, Lin said in an interview with radio show 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, Calif. I respect him so much!

NBA point guard Jeremy Lin and NFL quarterback Tim Tebow might seem an odd pairing at first. But Lin actually has quite a few things in common with the famous football player.

First, and most obviously, Lin is a devout Christian, and isn't shy about saying so. Several times during the interview, he mentioned God and his religion. His Twitter bio reads, to know Him is to want to know Him more, while his profile picture shows Jesus talking to a man on a beach.

And while Jeremy Lin's faith has not been the focus of as much media speculation (and public ridicule) of Tebow's very vocal beliefs, Lin hasn't had an easy time of things until very recently, either.

For such an amazing basketball player, Lin had lousy luck before the Knicks. He was cut from two NBA teams, the Warriors and the Rockets, and is currently crashing on a teammate's couch.

But like Tim Tebow, Jeremy Lin is fast starting to capture the public imagination. Daryl Morey, the same man who fired him from the Rockets, posted a tweet today regretting his decision.

We should have kept @jlin7, Morey tweeted. Did not know he was this good.

Charity Work, Impact off Field

Beyond their similarities, however, Tim Tebow also inspires Jeremy Lin for his good works, which his new-found fame certainly helps him to do.

I want to be able to do some of the things that he does in terms of the amount of charity work and the non-profit work, and the way he impacts people off the field, Lin said.

I think that is what is most inspiring to me about him.

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