Jeremy Lin discusses his unconventional path from Harvard to the NBA, what it means to be one of the few Asian-Americans in the league, and his unique approach to his personal brand.
On being an Asian-American role model in the NBA: “I want to pave the way for upcoming players. We’re going to see a young crop of Asian-Americans who are going to come through at some point and just be really, really good at basketball and there are going to be a couple that are really going to make waves and then you’re going to see more. That’s really how you see racial breakthroughs in whatever industry it might be.”
On his social media presence: “I think that it’s the most powerful way to influence... What I want to do is culture creation, challenging old ways of thinking... So [show that it is okay to have] a Harvard Asian graduate play basketball, have crazy hair, love his family, be a Christian and do all the other things... Traditionally we’ve only seen an Asian-American get boxed into maybe one of those categories, two of those categories, but I would love to show like a different side where we can challenge some of the old stereotypes... I realize that there’s an opportunity to really connect with the fans and the older I get, the more I’m appreciative of my fans. The more appreciative of them I am, the more I want to engage with them and give them content that they would enjoy.”
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