As rumors swirl around where Los Angeles Lakers point guard Jeremy Lin will end up next season, he managed to crack the Forbes Top 100 list of highest paid athletes. In addition, he did another skit on late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's show.
According to Forbes, Jeremy Lin is ranked No. 97 in the top 100 list, which ties him with NFL player Maurkice Pouncey. Lin's pay is estimated around $18.9 million, while his salary and winnings total $14.9 million.
"Jeremy Lin had his biggest year yet financially thanks to a back-loaded three-year, $25 million deal he signed in 2012 with the Houston Rockets, who traded him to the Los Angeles Lakers in July 2014," Forbes wrote. "The last year of the contract paid $14.9 million during the 2014-15 season compared to $5.2 million in the prior year of the deal."
Forbes also pointed out that Lin, who will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, also had various deals with sponsors.
"Lin has endorsement deals with Adidas and Tag Heuer and banks hefty fees for appearances in Asia," Forbes wrote.
According to Forbes, both Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao also made the list, ranking No. 1 and No. 2 respectively. Mayweather's pay is estimated at $300 million, while Pacquiao comes in with a cool $160 million.
"Pacquiao boosted his income further through endorsement deals with Nike, Foot Locker, Wonderful Pistachios, Nestle's Butterfinger and a handful in the Philippines," Forbes wrote. "The pugilist and Filipino Congressman is sidelined for the rest of 2015 after shoulder surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff."
As for Lin, neither making the list nor figuring out the next step in his NBA career has failed to stop him from cracking jokes. According to Madeline Boardman of US Weekly, Lin appeared alongside fellow Lakers teammate Nick Young and NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo for a Jimmy Kimmel Live! skit featuring fake wobbly tables.
"I'd like to get serious for a moment now about something that affects all of us," 47-year-old Kimmel said. "Recently I teamed up with a group of current and former NBA players to shine a light on one of the, I think, most pernicious and under-addressed problems."
According to US Weekly, the "public service announcement" used a moody soundtrack as everyone in the video talked about unstable tables.
"Hi, I'm NBA star Jeremy Lin," the NBA All-Star said. "Do you own a restaurant, café, or medium-priced bistro? If so, I've got an important message for you."
The skit then switches from Lin to Young.
"When I'm out eating a mini panini or a zesty corn fritter, there's one thing that can ruin my meal: a wobbly table," Young said as the video cut to him eating off of a wobbly table.
Mutombo then made his appearance known with a booming voice.
"Wobbly tables are the worst," Mutombo said. "Every time I cut my meat, it's like I'm on the boat."
Kimmel, who plays NBA director of officials Don Vaden, added jokingly that "this is a real problem for me." The video cuts between scenes by Lin, Young and Mutombo.
"If I get fruit punch in my slacks during dinner, there will be hell to pay," Lin said. "Not again!"
For the punchline, Lin and everyone in the skit urged restaurants to "make the table stable."
