Lin, the son of Taiwanese immigrants, grew up in Palo Alto, Calif. Spurred by his mother, he graduated from Harvard University, which does not give out athletic scholarships.<\/p>\n
He went unselected in the 2009 NBA Draft, then signed with his hometown Golden State Warriors, where he played for a year. Lin\u2019s debut drew significant attention from American and Chinese media, with the fan base\u2019s large Asian population celebrating his arrival. However, his playing time was limited as the season progressed, and he spent most of the year on the bench.<\/p>\n
The Knicks claimed Lin off waivers in 2011 after losing starting guard Iman Shumpert to an injury. Lin initially had to compete for a backup role and knew the team was considering cutting him. New York was struggling, though, and coach Mike D\u2019Antoni gave Lin a chance to play in February 2012 as the team\u2019s offense stalled.<\/p>\n
Within a week, Lin skyrocketed to fame after averaging 24.6 points, 9.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds over an 11-game stretch. Fans, peers and commentators embraced the 23-year-old\u2019s breakout, dubbing it \u201cLinsanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Though the hysteria only lasted about two weeks, Lin\u2019s aggressive style challenged racial stereotypes\u00a0surrounding Asian American players. As a point guard, he\u2019s credited with showing that Asian Americans were not passive players incapable of leading an offense. His ability to dunk showcased his athleticism and set him apart as someone able to spark a fire in teammates and fans.<\/p>\n
Lin\u2019s fame eclipsed most of his predecessors by a wide margin. Wat Misaka, a Japanese American who served in the United States Army during its occupation of Japan, became the first Asian American player in professional basketball in 1947. Like Lin, he played for the Knicks, who were then part of the Basketball Association of America, but Misaka\u2019s pro career lasted just a year, during which he only played in three games.<\/p>\n
In 1978, Raymond Townsend became the first Filipino American in the NBA, but his two-year run did not draw widespread recognition. Later came Chinese giant Yao Ming, who became a face of the league and an eight-time All-Star during his 2002-2011 run. Yao was a phenomenon in his own right. The Hall of Famer remains the biggest Asian-born star in NBA history and is a revered icon and executive in his home country.<\/p>\n
Lin, though, was different. He was a homegrown star from Northern California who faced years of racist comments<\/a> from competitors and home fans while playing at Harvard. The NBA hadn\u2019t seen anyone like him perform at the level he did.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been the honor of a lifetime to compete against the fiercest competitors under the brightest lights and to challenge what the world thought was possible for someone who looks like me,\u201d Lin said in his retirement post.<\/p>\n \u201cLinsanity\u201d propelled the 6-foot-3 guard to All-Star status as he led a seven-game winning streak that helped send the Knicks to the 2012 NBA playoffs.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a great story,\u201d Kobe Bryant said<\/a> in a mid-\u201cLinsanity\u201d interview, a day after saying he had no idea who Lin was,<\/a> and on a night when Lin outscored him 38-34.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a testament to perseverance and hard work. I am sure he has put in a great deal of work to always have that belief in himself. Now he has the opportunity to show it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Knicks lost in the opening round of the playoffs after running into LeBron James and the Miami Heat, who went on to hoist the Larry O\u2019Brien Trophy that season, but Lin rode the wave of support into the NBA history books multiple times over.<\/p>\n LeBron James praised Lin\u2019s play and leadership ahead of their showdown in the 2012 NBA playoffs. (Mike Ehrmann \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n The 89 points Lin scored in his first three starts with the Knicks were the most by a player since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He later became the first Asian American to win an NBA championship as part of the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors.<\/p>\n Lin\u2019s first and only NBA championship didn\u2019t sit right with him, however. He publicly said he didn\u2019t earn his ring after playing poorly during the Raptors\u2019 playoff run. Once the season ended, he found himself without a team, going unsigned during free agency.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/GettyImages-141275508-scaled.jpg\")
<\/p>\n