1.   As the league gained fame and an international following, the top players and coaches became celebrities.

2.   A fervent believer in heaven and hell, Segogela has earned an international following for his updates of traditional wood carving.

3.   The real poetry of rap -- its pathos and its joy -- goes unheard by its detractors even as the genre enjoys an ever-expanding international following.

4.   The Sonics also have a growing international following after playing regular and preseason games the past few years in both Japan and Mexico.

5.   Though they remained small businesses, brands like Conrad-Johnson, Martin-Logan and Spectral gained international followings for their exquisite amplifiers and speakers.

6.   Verdi, like John, enjoyed an immense international following and lived comfortably most of his life after a tough start.

7.   Her novels, marked by heightened realism and minute descriptions of daily life, have earned her wide popularity in Japan and a growing international following.

8.   Since then he has acquired a huge international following and those of his paintings which have found their way to the West now sell for huge sums.

9.   She is extremely popular in Japan and is attracting a growing international following.