Jeremy Lin hasn’t forgotten where he came from or how to give back as a professional athlete.
On Wednesday, the Nets point guard made a $1M donation to Harvard University, sending a gift to benefit the school’s basketball program and support financial aid for students.
“It’s two things I care a lot about,” Lin said. “Part of it went to my coach and the program because of what they did for me and my career and the other part went to underprivileged children. Some of it will go specifically to kids who need financial aid because I was one of those kids.”
Half of Lin’s donation will go towards renovating Harvard’s basketball gym, while the other half will go towards the Harvard Financial Aid Initiative. Lin said he wants the money to help offset expensive secondary costs like textbooks and help cash-strapped students be able to enjoy some fun on the side without feeling the financial squeeze.
“There’s another fund that they have for kids who get there and get financial aid, but they don’t have money to buy textbooks or money to be able to live a normal life,” he said. “Like if they want to eat off campus. Dining halls when I was there closed at 7, 7:15, so like if you get hungry at night and want to get some food, they don’t have money to go do that. I didn’t buy textbooks – after my first semester – for the last three and a half years there. I know I want these kids to have that opportunity to go spend a little bit more money to do anything. Go to a football game, whatever it is.”
Lin spent four years at Harvard, averaging 12.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists and captaining the team in his senior year. According to the Harvard Gazette, Lin was the first player in Ivy League history to record 1,450 points (1,483), 450 rebounds (487), 400 assists (406), and 200 steals (225).
The 28-year-old spent his formative years at the Ivy League school and credited the institution for making him the man he is today.
“I owe them a lot for everything,” Lin said. “Four years of my life and they really helped me become more of a mature adult I guess, or whatever you want to call it, my enrichment as a person.”