Former NBA star Jeremy Lin, known for sparking “Linsanity” back in 2012, is taking on a new role as mentor to young Asian American college athletes at his newly launched JLIN NextGen Basketball Camp in his hometown of Palo Alto.

As the Bay Area News Group reports, the inaugural camp, a two-day program of high-intensity training and drills, kicked off over the weekend. Lin, 35, was born and raised in Palo Alto and rose to global fame during the 2011–2012 season with the New York Knicks, becoming a symbol of inspiration for a generation of Asian American athletes.

His rise was so meteoric that, as SFist reported at the time, Kim Kardashian was rumored to have set her sights on him—though Lin reportedly said he “wasn’t the type.” He also famously bonded with Tim Tebow over their shared Christian faith.

As the Chronicle reports, while Lin’s NBA career quieted after his 2019 championship win with the Toronto Raptors, his impact has grown through activism, mentorship, and media projects like the HBO documentary 38 at the Garden, which explores how his rise reshaped what felt possible for Asian Americans in sports and beyond.

Lin’s “Linsanity” run in 2012 not only made him a global sensation but also a lasting symbol of hope and representation for Asian American athletes, who rarely saw themselves represented in pro basketball. Back then, Lin was the NBA’s only Asian American playing in the current season, as well as the first Taiwanese American player in NBA history.

“When he spoke about his journey, when he spoke about his upbringing, I was like, ‘Wow, this is literally me. This is like exactly what I had to go through,” Pranav Iyer of Cupertino told the Chronicle. “That is the biggest impact that could be had is that you can see yourself in these people.”

Iyer, who created AMAZN (amazingly Asian) HQ, spotlighting Asian American athletes across the country, continued, “I think everyone was able to find that inspiration and was able to say, ‘Maybe I should push myself harder. I think I can do these things that I was forever told wasn’t possible.’”

Now playing in Taiwan, Lin recently led the New Taipei Kings to their second straight title, earning Finals MVP after a grueling seven-game series — calling it the toughest championship of his career, even compared to his NBA win, as NextShark reports.

Lin told the Bay Area News Group he’s still figuring out exactly how he’ll be involved in the JLIN NextGen camp long-term, but sees it as part of his transition from player to coach. “I will for sure be pouring into the next generation and sharing my thoughts. Hopefully, I can import some wisdom,” he said.

“This opened up my eyes to see the world from a pro’s perspective,” said Annika Shah, a Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo point guard and Palo Alto High alum, in an interview with the Bay Area News Group. “It was cool to just understand that I can learn from anyone. He even said he could learn from us. And so I think him saying he could learn from kids at his own camp, I think that humbles us to be willing to learn from anyone that we’re around.”

Over time, Lin has become more reflective about his role in shaping perceptions of Asian American athletes. While he’s not particularly nostalgic about his own moment in the spotlight, he recognizes that the legacy of “Linsanity” still matters to a lot of people.

“Every time I hear about it, I’m like, ‘Don’t tell me how old you were when it happened,’” he told the Bay Area News Group. “It’s still very relevant. A lot of people still care about it. Seeing people tell me they were in middle school or elementary school when it happened—it’s crazy seeing time fly.”

Image: Jeremy Lin/Facebook