Jeremy Shu-How Lin is a Taiwanese-American former professional basketball player whose meteoric rise with the New York Knicks in 2012 created the international cultural phenomenon known as "Linsanity." He is recognized as the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA and, later, as the first Asian American to win an NBA championship. His journey from an undrafted Ivy League graduate to a global sports icon is a defining narrative in modern basketball.

Born on August 23, 1988, in Torrance, California, to Taiwanese immigrant parents, Lin Gie Ming and Shirley Lin, he grew up in Palo Alto in the San Francisco Bay Area. A standout at Palo Alto High School, he led his team to a state championship but received no NCAA Division I scholarship offers. He attended Harvard University, where he became a three-time All-Ivy League selection, yet went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft. He signed with his hometown Golden State Warriors, becoming a local fan favorite but seeing limited playing time and assignments to the NBA Development League. Brief, uneventful stints with the Warriors and Houston Rockets followed before he joined the New York Knicks in December 2011.

Initially on the fringe of the Knicks' rotation, Lin's fortunes changed dramatically in February 2012. Inserted into the starting lineup amid a team injury crisis, he ignited a seven-game winning streak with a series of electrifying, high-scoring performances. This period, dubbed "Linsanity," saw him become an overnight global sensation, gracing the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time magazine, the latter naming him to its Time 100 list of the world's most influential people. He won the ESPY Award for Breakthrough Athlete of the Year in 2012. His tenure with the Knicks was cut short by a knee injury, and he subsequently signed a lucrative offer sheet with the Houston Rockets.

Lin's post-Linsanity career was defined by resilience in the face of injuries and fluctuating roles. He played for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and finally the Toronto Raptors. With the Raptors in 2019, he achieved a lifelong dream by winning an NBA championship, though his on-court contributions were limited during the playoff run. In August 2019, he departed the NBA to join the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), where he was named an All-Star. After a brief 2021 stint with the Golden State Warriors' G League affiliate in an attempt to return to the NBA, he resumed his CBA career with the Beijing Ducks and later the Guangzhou Loong Lions.

In 2023, Lin began a new chapter in Taiwanese basketball, joining the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers of the P. League+ (PLG), where he led the league in assists. He signed with the New Taipei Kings in 2023, capturing the PLG championship in 2024 and adding a Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) championship in 2025. Throughout his winding career across continents, Jeremy Lin remained a seminal figure, transcending sport to become an enduring symbol of perseverance and breaking barriers for Asian athletes in professional basketball.