Jeremy Lin is staying busy and serving others while he gets ready to play for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the upcoming G League season. On his first day of quarantine, Lin announced recently on Instagram that his foundation will be donating more than $200,000 in grants to organizations in the Bay Area, focused on Asian American Pacific Islander youth.
“Many of us know what it feels like to not feel confident because of our background and to not see ourselves reflected in the media,” the 32-year-old wrote in the post. “My hope is that more and more youth can learn to feel empowered in their identities and to be empowered to achieve their dreams.”
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Lin joins the Warriors after spending last season in China, where he averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 39 games for the Beijing Ducks. His journey since taking the NBA by storm in 2012 has been full of ups and downs, with stints on six different NBA teams after becoming an international sensation with the Knicks.
The last time Lin appeared in an NBA game was the 2018-19 playoffs, when he was a member of the Toronto Raptors. He saw 27 minutes of action in the Raptors’ championship run, becoming the first Asian American to win an NBA title and the first Harvard graduate to appear in the NBA Finals.
Now, Lin is hoping to get back into the NBA again, passing up more lucrative offers overseas to play in the G League. In an interview with GOOD TV, a Taiwanese Christian channel, he credited God with giving him the strength to keep chasing his dream.
“So many times I almost wanted to give up on this dream and I just felt like God gave me strength when I didn’t have it,” Lin said. “I’m not trying to sound churchy or anything, it’s true.”
Lin’s Warriors will be one of 18 teams competing at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex, the same place where the NBA set up a bubble for last season’s playoffs. Games will start in February with the full schedule to be announced at a later date. The top eight teams will advance to a single-elimination playoffs.
In the interview with GOOD TV, Lin emphasized the importance of having his faith as a constant part of his life and the reliance he has on God’s guidance and wisdom.
“For me, with my faith, it doesn’t really matter what’s going on in my life, regardless of which decision I make or where I’m at in my life, I feel like my faith has to be a constant,” he said. “Honestly, it’s a relationship with God. It’s not rules. It’s not any obligation. It’s just a constant relationship with God and so, definitely as I pursue this part of my career, I’m definitely relying on God for wisdom and for strength and for boldness.”
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