林书豪获评《时代》杂志百大影响力人物榜榜首

What a difference a few months can make. In just over ten weeks time, NBA Basketball Guard Jeremy Lin went from benchwarmer to one of the world’s biggest movers and shakers. Lin has been named in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people around the globe for 2012, putting him in the company of world leaders at least on paper.

He is focused, he is goofy, and he’s a good sport - traits that have earned him respect from his peers, and won hearts around the world. Now Time magazine has taken notice, too.

International Editor Jim Frederick said Lin was selected for its annual list of the world’s most influential people partly for defying racial stereotypes as an Asian American pro basketball player, and breaking intellectual barriers as a Harvard grad excelling in sports.

Jim Frederick, editor of Time International, said, "The key thing to keep in mind is that it’s a list of influence, it’s not a list of power. And that’s one of the reasons that it’s very easy for somebody like music star Adele or Jeremy Lin to sit very comfortably to sit next to Barack Obama or Angela Merkel who are truly some of the most powerful people on the planet."

It’s another big score for the basketball player, who recently signed on as the new face of carmaker Volvo, one of many endorsement deals that could come from both U.S. and international brands, according to sports and events marketer Rob Tuchman.

Robert Tuchman, president of Elite Experiences, said, "I think for Jeremy Lin, being named to this list without a doubt is going to help his endorsement deals. I think that he has the potential to earn over a billion dollars in the course of his career if he continues to play the way he does."

And despite a recent knee surgery that has kept him away from the game, Lin continues to engage his fans.

Lin may be less visible on the court as he recovers from his knee surgery, but off the court, he’s still very visible. Here at Modells in midtown Manhattan, it’s clear that this star has staying power.

Staying power - that’s earned him a place among an elite crowd on the Time 100 list that includes Chinese Vice President Xi Jin Ping, American billionaire Warren Buffet, and IMF Chief Christine Lagarde.