Lin shows off skills in the kitchen

A knee injury may have kept Jeremy Lin off the basketball court, but he was able to showcase some of his moves in the kitchen on Monday.

The point guard for the Brooklyn Nets celebrated the upcoming Chinese New Year on Monday with fans from China who took part in the NBA's 2018 Chinese New Year celebration.

Lin, the NBA's first Chinese-American player, participated in the preparation of a traditional Lunar New Year's dish－dumplings－with a chef from a Chinese restaurant in Brooklyn. Lin displayed his own technique for making fillings and dumpling wrappers.

The 1.9 meter Lin is out for the season due to a ruptured kneecap tendon and had been rehabilitating in Vancouver. He said he was glad to be back in Brooklyn, watching Nets games in the Barclays Arena and interacting with fans.

Lin's dumplings were presented to three of his fans from China. The event was livestreamed on the NBA's Weibo account. Lin has 5 million followers on his Weibo account.

"My Chinese fans are special to me," Lin said. "For so many years, no matter what my performance, Chinese fans, you are always supportive of me."

The 29-year-old Harvard graduate became an idol for Chinese fans when he led the struggling New York Knicks on a winning streak in 2012, inspiring "Linsanity".

Lin also will be the subject of a 10-minute documentary, Jeremy Lin: Roots, on his visit to the home of his maternal grandmother in Pinghu, Zhejiang province. It will air on NBA China's TV and digital partners during the league's Chinese New Year celebration from Feb 2 to March 3.

Lin's season ended the day it started. On Oct 18, in the Nets' season-opener against the Indiana Pacers, he hurt his right knee after landing hard on a layup.

"I'm recovering well," he said. "The rehab has been very smooth. But I don't expect to return this season. I cannot take the risk."

Lin is expected to be back in basketball in six to nine months after successful surgery on the knee in October.