In a thoughtful gesture, Los Angeles Lakers guard Jeremy Lin gave his Lakers teammates a shiny Christmas gift.
The gift, based on what Lin posted on Instagram, included customized headphones. Lin even added the nicknames "Swaggy P" and "Black Mamba," meant for Nick Young and Kobe Bryant respectively.
"Customized headphones for the #lakeshow," Lin wrote underneath the picture. "Early Christmas gift as we fly to Chicago!! Steve and X [are] getting theirs separately because they can't travel with us."
Lin also thanked various companies via Instragram for "helping bring my idea to life."
Shimmering Christmas gifts for the entire team aside, Lin had a few comments after the Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 115-105 without the help of Bryant.
"We learned about ourselves [Tuesday night]," Lin told Baxter Holmes of ESPN.
According to Corey Hansford of Lakers Nation, Lin indicated that his team must find a balance when Kobe returns to the court on Christmas Day against the Chicago Bulls.
"It's definitely different because when he's (Kobe) in the game, he's our best player, so you want to definitely try to cater to him," Lin said.
Lin added that Bryant should be allowed "to do what he does," saying that a balance must be struck "to get the best of both worlds."
According to Travelers Today, the Lakers delivered their best performance this season and accomplished it with Bryant on the sidelines.
"Averaging 24.6 points per game this season, the 36-year old Bryant took a day off on Tuesday after logging 34 minutes per game over the last five games, including a 38-minute outing against the Sacramento Kings last Sunday," Travelers Today wrote.
Young, who according to Travelers Today recorded 15 points on team-high 13 shot attempts, thought that Bryant's absence helped the team figure out how to execute offensive sets. He too had comments for Bryant.
"Some guys just played like 'Django Unchained' -- they were free tonight," Young said. "Pretty much going to have to tell Kobe to pass me the ball, pass us the ball. Tell him to take the backseat for a little bit. He can be 'Driving Miss Daisy' and I can be Miss Daisy and drive."
As for 26-year-old Lin, he thought their win against the Warriors resulted from trusting each other on the court. The guard, who recorded 11 points, five assists and three steals in 25 minutes off the bench, added that the key to victory involved passing the ball.
"We learned that we've got to definitely move the ball, make it quick, snappy," Lin said.
ESPN asked Lin on whether or not the Lakers can play as they did on Tuesday when Bryant returns to the roster.
"That's the challenge -- that we make sure we all try to get on the same page, continue to get on the same page," Lin said. "You have to ask Coach more so than me, so, yeah."
Lakers coach Byron Scott seemed to agree with Lin's comments, realizing that it benefitted both Bryant and the rest of the Lakers team. Scott noted that his team was able to play without using the NBA veteran as their "security blanket."
"It takes a lot more pressure off of him, and it takes a lot more wear and tear off him, as well," Scott said in regards to Bryant. "It saves him more than anything, as well. It gives our guys confidence. We'll try to play the same way. Hopefully, we can."
