Why the Houston Rockets Made an
Excellent Acquisition

The Houston Rockets may have acquired one of the most valuable players in the NBA, and at an extremely low cost in comparison to the deal. Jeremy Lin will be playing for the Rockets for the next 3 years for a mere $25 million. 

The American born NBA player of Taiwanese decent, undrafted out of Harvard has managed to climb above most players in terms of salary within the NBA; and he has achieved this feat through playing less than one full season of games within the NBA.

Logically, scepticism surrounding the Rockets' offer to Lin has been justified. Many journalists, sports columnists and sports fanatics were stunned by the Rocket's offer and supported the New York Knicks decision of letting Lin walk away. However, critics have disregarded the crucial fact that like all other professional sports organizations, when it comes down to it, the Houston Rockets is just another business. Brand awareness, ticket sales, and market share are just some of the factors that fixate the attention of CEOs of major corporations and franchises. Every decision, every tactic must in some way, present a significant return on investment – and Lin can provide a ROI in many more ways than just through winning basketball games.

Lin captured the hearts of America with his story. He excels both academically, and athletically. He is faithful to his religious values and beliefs. He had to put in hard work for his results and stepped up to exceed every single person's expectations when he was given his opportunity starting February 4^th 2012. In a matter of 14 days, the resale of Knicks ticket prices increased by 300% on the market and an 87% increase in television ratings on the MSG network. These are all assets that the Houston Rockets can be guaranteed. But there's more – much more.

Last June, Yao Ming announced his retirement from the NBA. Although this did not come as a surprise to the dedicated fans of the Chinese NBA superstar, there was a big space to fill and Lin is the man for the job. Yao's legacy has proved far more than the fact that Chinese people can play basketball; it set the tone for the NBA's outreach across Asia. Jeremy Lin is now the biggest face in the NBA for the Asian basketball community. He was not born in China but it does not matter. He has the values and work ethics that are admired within the Chinese culture. Additionally, Lin has already gained support abroad, especially amongst the 22 million people in Taiwan. Lin can be the man to connect the Chinese basketball fans to the NBA, and more importantly, to the Houston Rockets once again. A player with that potential is priceless

There is a huge market within the Asian basketball market. Regardless of whether people want to admit it or not, the potential surrounding Lin is worth far more than $8.33 million for the next 3 years. The Rockets were insightful enough to make sure he's playing on their court this coming fall.