Jeremy Lin

Story

Jeremy Lin was born in Torrance, California and raised in Palo Alto, where he starred at Palo Alto High School before walking on at Harvard University, majoring in economics and going undrafted into the NBA in 2010, signing with the Golden State Warriors.

After being waived twice, Lin got his chance with the New York Knicks in February 2012, and over a stretch of games captivated the sports world with “Linsanity” — averaging 22.5 points and 8.7 assists as a starter, appearing on the covers of Sports Illustrated and TIME, and becoming a global icon for Asian American athletes.

Lin went on to play nine NBA seasons for six franchises, winning an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019 as the first Asian American player to do so. He later continued his career overseas, winning MVP and Finals MVP honors in Taiwan’s professional league in 2025.

Career Highlights

• NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors (2019) — first Asian American NBA champion
• Ignited “Linsanity” with the New York Knicks in February 2012, a global phenomenon that landed him on the covers of Sports Illustrated and TIME
• First American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA
• Played 9 NBA seasons across 6 franchises, including the Warriors, Knicks, Rockets, Lakers, Hornets, and Nets
• 2025 Taiwan Professional Basketball League MVP and Finals MVP with the New Taipei Kings
• Career NBA averages: 11.6 points, 4.3 assists per game across 480 games

Photo: Gene Wang, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons