【6/4/2021】CAPA-NoVA Distinguished Chinese American (华裔名人) Project
(Author: 贺清峰 Qingfeng He)
林书豪（Jeremy Lin） (1988-) is professional basketball player in the NBA and CBA. He is one of the few Asian Americans to have played in the NBA, the first Asian American to win an NBA championship, having done so with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
Lin grew up in the Bay area and attended Harvard University, where he was a three-time all-conference player in the Ivy League. During the 2011–12 season, Lin generated a cultural phenomenon known as “Linsanity” with the New York Knicks. At first, Lin played sparingly for the Knicks, and he again spent time in the D-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.
Lin’s inspring story brought greater visibility to Asian Americans in a sport dominated by Black and white athletes who weren’t Harvard graduates. His persistence, passion, and his belief in himself when others might not — is a lesson we can all learn from. Lin is also a philanthropist and activist. He has stepped up to help those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and become a dynamic advocate in the fight for inclusion and against anti-Asian racism. On May 26, 2021, Lin addressed Harvard’s graduating seniors as part of the annual Class Day celebration, an honor for which he was selected by the Class of 2021. In his speech, he shared with the graduates that “You will always be more than your accomplishments” and “success without community is absolutely meaningless”.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremy_Lin
[2] https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/05/basketball-star-jeremy-lin-gets-candid/
【Not only do we live among the stars, the stars live within us! 】
