Jeremy Shu-How Lin is a retired Taiwanese-American professional basketball player and the first person of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA.
He became one of basketball’s most extraordinary cultural phenomena when he sparked the global sensation known as Linsanity during the 2011-12 NBA season with the New York Knicks.
He retired from professional basketball on August 30, 2025, after a remarkable 15-year career that took him from Harvard University to the NBA and eventually to Taiwan, where he won back-to-back championships and was named league MVP.
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Jeremy Lins Biography
He was born on August 23, 1988, in Palo Alto, California, to Taiwanese immigrant parents, Shirley and Gie-Ming Lin. His father, Gie-Ming, taught himself basketball by watching instructional videos and regularly took Jeremy and his brothers to the YMCA, instilling a deep love for the game from an early age.
His mother, Shirley, established a junior basketball program and consistently supported her sons’ passion for the sport despite occasional criticism from others who felt they played too much.
Jeremy Lin has two brothers. His older brother, Josh Lin, studied dentistry at New York University and is a board-certified pediatric dentist who still plays basketball recreationally.
His younger brother Joseph Lin also pursued a professional basketball career and plays in Taiwan. Jeremy attended Palo Alto High School, where he was named first-team All-State and Northern California Division II Player of the Year.
Despite his extraordinary high school record, he received no scholarship offers from major programmes, a slight that would fuel his determination throughout his career.
He attended Harvard University, where he graduated with a degree in Economics with a 3.1 grade point average. He stands at 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs approximately 91 kilograms.
Jeremy is an evangelical Protestant Christian and was a leader in Harvard’s Asian American Christian Fellowship during his time there.
He has spoken openly about his faith throughout his career, crediting God for his success and expressing a desire to eventually become a pastor involved in non-profit work and inner-city community development.
Career
Jeremy Lin went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft despite his outstanding Harvard career. He signed with the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA Summer League before joining the Golden State Warriors on a two-year contract.
After being waived by the Warriors and Houston Rockets, he signed with the New York Knicks in December 2011. What followed was one of the most extraordinary runs in NBA history.
During a ten-game stretch in February 2012, Lin averaged 24.6 points and 9.2 assists, becoming the first Harvard graduate to play in the NBA in over 50 years and igniting the global phenomenon known as Linsanity.
He scored a memorable game-winning three-pointer against the Toronto Raptors that became one of basketball’s most celebrated moments. Time Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2012 as a direct result of Linsanity.
He went on to play for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, and Golden State Warriors across his NBA career before transitioning to international basketball.
He joined the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2019 before eventually signing with the New Taipei Kings of Taiwan’s PLG in September 2023 alongside his brother Joseph. His time in Taiwan proved extraordinarily successful.
The Kings won the league championship in 2024, and Lin signed a contract extension. In the 2024-25 TPBL season, he won Clutch Play of the Year, was named to the All-Defensive First Team, was selected to the All-TPBL First Team, and won the league’s Most Valuable Player award.
On June 29 2025, the Kings won the TPBL championship, and Lin was named MVP of the Finals. He announced his retirement from professional basketball on August 30, 2025, closing a remarkable 15-year career.
Who Is Jeremy Lin’s Wife?
Jeremy Lin’s personal life is one of the most deliberately and successfully guarded in the history of professional basketball.
In January 2023, Lin announced on social media that he had secretly been married for approximately two years, writing: ‘After being together for several years, my wife and I were married two years ago. It was a warm and sacred ceremony, and it was one of the biggest highlights of my life. I am so grateful to have found someone who loves everything about me, embraces my unique life, and is willing to spend it with me.’
As of 2026, Jeremy Lin has never publicly revealed his wife’s name, choosing to keep that aspect of his life completely private. What is known is that she is of Filipino descent, giving their family a rich Taiwanese-American and Filipino cultural heritage.
He has posted occasional photographs from their life together on social media without ever identifying her, reflecting his longstanding commitment to protecting his personal life from the intense public scrutiny that has followed him since Linsanity.
The couple welcomed their first child, a son, in 2024. Lin has not revealed his son’s name publicly. Since his retirement in August 2025, Lin has spoken about focusing on family, faith, and his future aspirations, which include potentially becoming a pastor and working with underprivileged children in inner-city communities.
It is critical to correct a serious and potentially defamatory error that appears in many online sources about Jeremy Lin’s wife. Kristina Wong is NOT Jeremy Lin’s wife. Her project titled “I Will Marry Jeremy Lin” was a satirical performance art piece that involved public stunts, including attending a Lakers game dressed as a bride.
It was never a real relationship, and Kristina Wong has never been romantically linked to Jeremy Lin in any verified capacity.
Jeremy Lin’s Net Worth
His net worth is estimated at approximately $36 million as of 2026, accumulated across his NBA career in which he earned over $65 million in salary alone, not including endorsement deals, international contracts, and various investment and media activities.
His peak NBA salary came during his Houston Rockets contract, worth approximately $25 million over three years. Despite his considerable wealth, Lin is known for his extraordinary humility and lack of materialism.
During the Linsanity era, he turned down several lucrative endorsement opportunities, citing basketball as his priority over commercial gain. He has served as brand ambassador for companies including Volvo, Nike, and Adidas, switching from Nike to Adidas in 2014 after Nike ended their partnership.
Since retiring, Lin has spoken about pursuing pastoral work and community development rather than commercial ventures, suggesting his post-basketball life will be defined by service and faith rather than wealth accumulation.
He has invested in various ventures and continues to generate income through media appearances, speaking engagements, and his growing profile as a cultural icon in both the United States and Asia.
