China’s Kobe Bryant lookalike gets 500,000 fans in 2 weeks after copying style of basketball legend in live-stream
- 21-year-old earns US$12,000 in 10 days impersonating late sporting great
- Bryant, who died in 2020, still has 10 million followers on Weibo
An influencer in China who bears a striking resemblance to the basketball legend Kobe Bryant has made 80,000 yuan (US$12,000) in just 10 days.
Ma Jinghui, 21, from the southwestern province of Yunnan, saw his fan base on Douyin grow from a few thousand to 600,000 all because of his imitation of the sports star.
In his videos, Ma wears Bryant’s iconic No 24 jersey, holds a basketball with one hand, sits against a white wall, accompanied by the background music of the song See You Again.
He also greets his fans in English, saying: “Man, I’m back.”
Ma, who calls himself the “Chinese version of Kobe Bryant”, consistently drew over 100,000 viewers for each live-session.
In just over 10 days, he earned more than US$12,000 by impersonating Bryant in his live-streams.
Kobe Bryant is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players, and has long been one of China’s most beloved athletes with nearly 10 million followers on Weibo.
He rocketed to fame as an 18-year-old rookie and played for the Los Angeles Lakers for 20 years, 18 of them as an All-Star, winning five NBA championships.
The basketball legend died, aged 41, with his daughter Gianna in a helicopter crash near California in January 2020.
A fan of 20 years explained why the China double is so popular.
“When Ma smiles, I can see my idol Kobe, and I miss him so much,” the person said.
“Just seeing him sitting here, I’m moved to tears,” said another.
Ma was initially a game streamer. His hobbies included playing basketball and video games, with Bryant being his favourite basketball idol.
In February, a netizen pointed out Ma’s resemblance to Bryant and suggested he impersonate him to gain more followers.
Taking the advice, Ma shaved his head, applied make-up to darken his skin, donned the No 24 jersey, and started live-streaming with a basketball in hand.
Ma said he was “pleasantly surprised” by his fame.
“I hope to earn more money, buy a car for my dad and get my sister a new phone,” he said.
“I’m now learning English to pay a better tribute to Kobe Bryant,” he added.
“My goal is 1 million followers, and I’ll be live-streaming basketball games in the future.”
However, the impersonator also faced criticism online.
“Thin arms and legs, he does not look like a basketball player, he is just cashing in on people’s love for Kobe,” one Douyin contributor said.
In response, Ma said he had started a fitness regime and was currently in the muscle-building phase.
“As long as there’s love and perseverance, regardless of background or wealth, anyone can play basketball. That is what Kobe taught us,” a Ma fan said.
