Houston (CNN) -- For the God-fearing, Harvard-educated NBA star Jeremy Lin, it's deja vu all over again except for two things: This time he's entering Houston's Toyota Center with an fat paycheck in his pocket and inflated expectations in the stands. "I still have to kind of remind myself that this is actually happening sometimes," Lin told reporters in Houston, where he was making his redux debut as a Rocket on Thursday before a phalanx of reporters and cameras after the New York Knicks failed to match Houston's three-year, $25 million offer for the point guard. "But it's a huge blessing from God, and I can't believe how it all shaped up for me, and for me to be able to be here right now, I'm definitely excited and thankful."
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"We made an error by letting him go," Rockets owner says
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"I just think I'm going to have fun playing here," Lin tells CNN
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Lin makes his media debut as a Houston Rocket Thursday
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Being a role model for younger Asians is important, Lin says
He appeared in two pre-season outings with the @placeholder before the team let him go on December 24.