Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Shu-How Lin (Chinese: 林書豪; born August 23, 1988) is a Taiwanese-American former professional basketball player. He unexpectedly led a winning turnaround with the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA) during the 2011–12 season, sparking a cultural phenomenon known as "Linsanity". Lin is the first person of Chinese or Taiwanese descent born in the United States to play in the NBA, and is one of the few Asian Americans to have played in the league. He is also the first Asian American player to win an NBA championship, having done so with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Born to a Taiwanese American family, Lin grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and earned honors as a senior in high school. After receiving no athletic scholarship offers, he attended Harvard University, where he was a three-time all-conference player in the Ivy League. Undrafted out of college, Lin signed with his hometown Golden State Warriors in 2010. He seldom played in his rookie season and received assignments to the NBA Development League (now NBA G League). In 2011, Lin was waived by both the Warriors and the Houston Rockets before joining the New York Knicks early in 2011–12. At first, Lin played sparingly for the Knicks, and he again spent time in the development league. In February 2012, however, he was promoted to the starting lineup and led the team on a seven-game winning streak. Lin's stellar play during the season helped the Knicks make the 2012 playoffs; it also catapulted him to international fame. Lin appeared on the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time and was named to the Time 100 as one of the most influential people in the world. In July 2012, Lin won the ESPY Award for Breakthrough Athlete of the Year. Following his Knicks tenure, Lin played for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors. While he experienced some success in Houston and Charlotte, he battled injuries in the ensuing seasons. In August 2019, he left the NBA and signed with the Beijing Ducks, where he became an All-Star in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). Attempting to return to the NBA, Lin played with the Warriors' development team in 2021. He returned to the CBA and played with the Ducks and later the Guangzhou Loong Lions. He left the Loong Lions midseason in 2022–23 and joined Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers of the P. League+ (PLG) in 2023. Lin would lead the PLG in assists that season. He signed with the New Taipei Kings in 2023, winning the PLG championship in 2024 and the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) championship in 2025.