Lin, Jeremy (1988-…), is a professional basketball player. He became an international sensation after he emerged from obscurity in February 2012 to star for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Lin stands 6 feet 3 inches (191 centimeters) tall. He plays point guard. Point guards direct a team’s offense and start most of the plays (see Basketball (How to play basketball)).
Lin’s popularity extended beyond basketball. Lin was born in the United States to parents who emigrated from Taiwan in the mid-1970’s. He became the first American-born player of Chinese heritage to play in the NBA. His success made him a hero, especially to Asian Americans and people in China and Taiwan. The excitement Lin created throughout the world became known as “Linsanity.”
Jeremy Shu-How Lin was born in Los Angeles on Aug. 23, 1988, and moved with his family to Palo Alto, California, when he was a child. He played college basketball at Harvard University from 2006 to 2010 and set several Ivy League records for scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals. After graduating, Lin signed with the Golden State Warriors.
Lin played in only 29 games for Golden State during the 2010-2011 season. On Dec. 9, 2011, the Warriors waived him—that is, they gave up their claim to him. The Knicks signed Lin on December 27. After playing only a few minutes in 23 games, Lin scored 25 points as New York defeated the New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets on Feb. 4, 2012. After this performance, Lin became a starting guard for the Knicks. He then led the team to six more victories in a row that established him as a star.
Lin played the following two seasons with the Houston Rockets. After the 2013-2014 season, Houston traded Lin to the Los Angeles Lakers. At this point in his career, Lin served mostly as a backup or a part-time starter. He later played for the Charlotte Hornets, the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Toronto Raptors. Lin was a reserve guard for the Raptors, who won the NBA championship in June 2019. Lin later played for the Beijing Ducks and the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association. He also played for the Kaohsiung Steelers of the P. League+ in Taiwan.
See also Basketball.
