Chinese influencer Ma Jinghui is causing quite a stir on the internet due to his striking resemblance to the deceased basketball icon Kobe Bryant. In just ten days, the 21-year-old’s fame on Douyin skyrocketed from a few thousand followers to 600,000, and by impersonating Bryant in his livestreams, he has already made an incredible 80,000 yuan (US$12,000).
According to the South China Morning Post, Jinghui appears in his videos wearing Bryant’s recognizable No. 24 jersey, benched against a white wall, and with the song See You Again playing in the background. He also says, “Man, I’m back,” to his fans in English.
Jinghui, who refers to himself as the “Chinese version of Kobe Bryant,” usually receives over 100,000 audiences for each live session.
According to the publication, Jinghui began his online experience as a game streamer. His pastimes included playing basketball and computer games, and Bryant was always his favorite basketball player.
An internet user noticed Jinghui’s likeness to Bryant in February and suggested he imitate him to get more followers. Following the advice, Jinghui shaved his head, put on black makeup, threw on the No. 24 jersey, and began live-streaming while holding a basketball.
Jinghui, meanwhile, declared that he was “pleasantly surprised” by his popularity and that he planned to purchase a new phone for his sister and a car for his father with the proceeds.
Jinghui stated, “I’m now learning English to pay a better tribute to Kobe Bryant,” demonstrating his commitment to improving his NBA champion impersonation.
“My goal is 1 million followers, and I’ll be live-streaming basketball games in the future,” he added.
However, Jinghui also drew criticism from the internet. One commenter called him “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 did, however, reveal that he has begun a workout regimen and is presently in the muscle-building stage.
Some fans also praised his efforts, saying, “As long as there is love and perseverance, regardless of background or wealth, anyone can play basketball. That is what Kobe taught us.”
Bryant is widely recognized as one of the best basketball players of all time and has long been one of China’s most popular athletes, with roughly 10 million Weibo followers.
