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Brooklyn Nets: Jeremy Lin's Mom Aided His NBA Dream

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Jeremy Lin‘s journey has had its ups and downs. Now, with the Brooklyn Nets, he has the most stability he had in his entire career. Lin recently revealed how his mom helped him achieve his NBA dream.

Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin is known for his incredible journey to the NBA. The 28-year-old has discussed all the hardships he faced numerous times. His career alone is the definition of overcoming obstacles.

In yet another revelation of Lin’s fairytale-like story, Lin revealed at The New Yorker Festival the extent to which his mom, Shirley, went to help him realize his NBA dream.

Jeremy Lin's mom took $ out of her 401K to get him thru NBA draft to make sure he had enough to eat, after she & dad were laid off. #TNYfest

— Jo Ling Kent (@jolingkent) October 9, 2016

It’s not uncommon for athletes’ parents to devote so much to help their children make it to the big leagues. We hear players crediting their family’s support all the time for their achievements, and they often thank their parents with a house or car. However, Lin’s story differs from most other athletes’.

Lin arguably had the most nontraditional path to the NBA. He spent four years at Harvard University, and he graduated with a degree in economics. Ivy League alums who make it to the NBA are hard to come by. In fact, Lin became just the second player from an Ivy League school to play in the NBA from 2010 onwards (Jeff Foote from Cornell had a brief stint with the New Orleans Pelicans).

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The Harvard grad went undrafted in the NBA, but still received the chance to work out with multiple NBA teams. After signing with the Golden State Warriors in July 2010, he became the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA. Since then, his journey has involved two D-League teams, five NBA teams, and briefly, the Dongguan Leopards in China.

Of course, Lin is most known for his breakout as “Linsanity” in his year with the New York Knicks. Lin has always expressed interest in returning to New York, and now, he’ll have the opportunity to play on the other side of the bridge as a member of the Nets.

This summer, Lin signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Nets. If Shirley’s debt hasn’t already been paid back, then it’ll certainly be soon. One thing’s for sure: Shirley’s sacrifice was well worth it.

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