Sanzo Launches LTO Jeremy Lin Cans to Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary of ‘Linsanity’

Sanzo is an Asian-inspired sparkling water that brings Eastern and Western cultures together. Recently, the brand revealed a special-edition partnership with NBA champion and philanthropist Jeremy Lin. The limited-edition can's design continues the brand's well-known bright colors. However, instead of an oversized fruit illustration on the front of the can, there's an animated image of Lin clothed in a basketball uniform. In addition, the Asian Pear flavored can is a stunning light blue and orange combination, reflecting the sweet, fresh, and soft flavors within. 

Sanzo, the Asian-inspired sparkling water brand dedicated to bridging Eastern and Western cultures, launches limited-time-only cans in collaboration with NBA champion and philanthropist Jeremy Lin. Lin was the first American of Taiwanese descent to play in the league and is best known for leading the New York Knicks on a seven-game winning streak during a pivotal stretch in 2012. During this streak, known as ‘Linsanity’, Lin was responsible for a 38-point, seven-assist game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden that masterfully outscored Kobe Bryant. Ten years later, Sanzo’s ‘Linsanity’ cans not only commemorate the win and winning streak, but also speak to Sanzo’s core mission of bringing Asian stories, flavors, and representation to the forefront of popular culture in America. All profits from this collaboration will be donated to the Jeremy Lin Foundation, which served the often overlooked AAPI community and cross-racial children by supporting programs that lead to community empowerment and cross-racial solidarity.

“I am so, so excited to be teaming up with Sanzo on these custom cans,” said Jeremy Lin, philanthropist and NBA champion. “It has always been a dream of mine to be able to leave a mark on professional sports, and to be commemorated on a Sanzo can to celebrate the last decade of my basketball career is incredible. My basketball career has been one of proving myself over and over again, and I am hopeful that the next generation will have even more opportunities because of it. Aligning myself with a company like Sanzo that is dedicated to honoring the stories and flavors of Asian Americans is a huge deal for me. It is even more meaningful that proceeds from the cans are going to the Jeremy Lin Foundation, to support underserved AAPI youth.”

The collaboration marks the first of its kind for Sanzo while advancing its strategic partnership approach of celebrating iconic pop cultural moments led by the Asian-American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. Earlier this year, Sanzo released custom cans in collaboration with Pixar Animation Studios to coincide with the release of ‘Turning Red’ and in 2021 teamed up with Marvel Studios to produce cans in conjunction with the theatrical release of ‘Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings’. Sanzo’s ‘Linsanity’ cans not only pay tribute to Jeremy Lin’s record-breaking success as an NBA player, but also work to amplify Asian figures across the sports industry, who have often been overlooked due to racial bias and stereotypes. 

Although approximately 20 million people of Asian descent now comprise 6% of the U.S. population,in 2019-20, players of Asian descent made up less than 1% of both NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball players and less than 0.5% of professional NBA, WNBA, and NFL players1. For Queens-born, Filipino-American founder of Sanzo, Sandro Roco, it is critical to give consumers a lasting reminder of how one person’s barrier-breaking path can impact generations to come both inside, and outside, of sports. 

“Working with Jeremy and his team has been a surreal experience,” said Sanzo founder and CEO Sandro Roco. “I grew up playing basketball and baseball and have been an avid sports fan my entire life. I’ve always appreciated the idea that if you could contribute to your team’s success, it should not matter what you look like or where you come from. Jeremy unfortunately had to face a lot of biases in a hyper-competitive league. But in doing so, he said to the entire world, especially the AAPI community, that no dream is too big to accomplish. We are so honored to be involved in another pivotal cultural moment for the AAPI community.”

Sanzo’s ‘Linsanity’ can design was inspired by nostalgic NY-centric sports memorabilia like the posters that hung on the walls of your childhood bedroom and trading cards that highlighted pivotal players and moments in sports. To coincide with these LTO cans, Sanzo is debuting a brand new sparkling water flavor, Asian Pear—Sanzo’s number one most requested flavor among its customers. Aromatic and elegant, Asian Pears have a sweet, crisp, and mellow flavor with a juicy bite. The fruit originated in China and Japan and has gained popularity in the West for the past several decades. This flavor will join Sanzo’s existing lineup of sparkling water for a limited time only and like their Calamansi, Lychee, Mango, and Yuzu with Ginger varieties, Asian Pear ‘Linsanity’ sparkling water is made using only real fruit with no added sugar, preservatives, or artificial flavors. 

Since launching in 2019, Sanzo has remained focused on their core mission of creating beverages that celebrate traditional Asian flavors and ultimately giving consumers in the West an introduction to flavors that might have previously been unfamiliar. Each Sanzo flavor is made using only real fruit and celebrates high-quality, authentic Asian flavors.