Ma Jinghui, a Chinese influencer, is generating a sensation online due to his strong likeness to departed basketball icon Kobe Bryant. In just ten days, the 21-year-old’s Douyin following grew from a few thousand to 600,000, and he has already earned an amazing 80,000 yuan (US$12,000) mimicking Bryant in livestreams.
According to the South China Morning Post, Jinghui appears in his films wearing Bryant’s iconic No. 24 jersey, benched against a white wall, and playing the song See You Again in the backdrop. In English, he says, “Man, I’m back,” to his admirers.
Jinghui, who describes himself as the “Chinese version of Kobe Bryant,” routinely draws over 100,000 people to each live session.
Jinghui started his internet presence as a gaming streamer, as reported in the article. He enjoyed playing basketball and computer games, and Bryant was always his favorite basketball player.
An internet user spotted Jinghui’s resemblance to Bryant in February and advised he emulate him to gain more admirers. Jinghui shaved his head, put on black eyeliner, wore the No. 24 jersey, and started live-streaming while carrying a basketball.
Jinghui, for his part, said he was “pleasantly surprised” by his success and planned to use the earnings to buy a new phone for his sister and a car for his father.
Jinghui added, “I’m now learning English to pay a better tribute to Kobe Bryant,” exhibiting his dedication to perfecting his NBA champion impersonation.
“My goal is 1 million followers, and I’ll be live-streaming basketball games in the future,” he went on to say.
However, Jinghui received criticism on the internet. Someone wrote that he had “thin arms and legs, he does not look like a basketball player, he is just cashing in on people’s love for Kobe.”
The influencer revealed that he has started a fitness routine and is currently growing muscle.
Fans commended his efforts, stating that with love and perseverance, anyone can play basketball, regardless of background or riches. That’s what Kobe taught us.
Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, and he has long been one of China’s most popular athletes, having approximately 10 million Weibo followers.