Jeremy Lin Quotes

Powerful Jeremy Lin for Daily Growth

About Jeremy Lin

Jeremy Lin, born on August 23, 1988, in Torrance, California, is an American-Taiwanese professional basketball player who has made a significant impact both on and off the court. Raised by Christian parents, his faith plays a crucial role in his life, as evidenced by his quotable expressions. After attending high school at Palo Alto High School and college at Harvard University, Lin went undrafted in the 2010 NBA Draft. His career began in earnest when he signed with the Golden State Warriors, but it was during his tenure with the New York Knicks that he gained international fame as the first American of Taiwanese or Chinese descent to be an NBA starting point guard. Nicknamed "Linsanity," Lin's meteoric rise in 2012, highlighted by a record-breaking performance against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, captivated basketball fans worldwide and cemented his place in sports history. Despite several moves between teams, including the Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, and Atlanta Hawks, Lin's story of perseverance continues to inspire. In addition to his athletic achievements, Lin is known for his philanthropy and social activism. He founded the Jeremy Lin Foundation to support disadvantaged youth in Taiwan and the U.S., and he has been an outspoken advocate for Asian-American representation in sports and beyond. Throughout his journey, Lin's quotes reflect his resilience, faith, and determination. Some of his most famous include: "Don't let failure define you...let it refine you," "When I'm down, it doesn't mean God has left me; it means my road is about to get brighter," and "If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will." These words echo the wisdom gained from his unique experiences and serve as a testament to his indomitable spirit.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Don't let mistakes define you, let them teach you."

The quote by Jeremy Lin encourages individuals to use their mistakes as learning opportunities rather than defining moments. Instead of dwelling on errors, this mindset suggests that one should find ways to grow from these experiences, understanding that they are stepping stones towards personal development and success.


"I'm just a kid from Harvard who believes in himself and works as hard as he can every day to make his dreams come true."

This quote, attributed to Jeremy Lin, emphasizes that one's background or pedigree does not define their potential or capabilities. Lin, being a "kid from Harvard", suggests a humble upbringing, yet he believes in himself and works tirelessly to achieve his dreams. This statement serves as an inspiration for those who may feel limited by their circumstances, encouraging them to believe in themselves and strive relentlessly towards their goals.


"It's okay to be different and to stand out. It's okay to not fit in. It's okay to believe in yourself, even if others don't."

This quote conveys the message that it's not only acceptable but also empowering to be unique and authentic. The sentiment encourages individuals to embrace their individuality and stand out from the crowd, even when they may not conform to societal norms or expectations. It also highlights the importance of self-belief, suggesting that one should trust in themselves, even when others may doubt them. Essentially, this quote is about valuing oneself, being confident, and living true to one's identity.


"I want to be a good example of hard work and persistence paying off."

This quote from Jeremy Lin emphasizes the value of consistent effort and determination in achieving one's goals. By choosing to be a "good example" of hard work and persistence, he underscores the importance of not only personal success but also inspiring others through his actions. The message is that through dedication, perseverance, and an unwavering commitment to improvement, one can overcome obstacles and reap the rewards of their labor. It is a reminder that success is often the result of persistence, rather than innate talent or good fortune alone.


"In the face of adversity, never lose your faith in God, family, and friends."

This quote by Jeremy Lin emphasizes the importance of faith, family, and friends during challenging times. It suggests that in the midst of adversity, one should not abandon their faith in a higher power (God), the support system provided by family, and the companionship offered by friends. These three elements are considered vital sources of strength, resilience, and hope when facing difficulties. The quote serves as a reminder that, even in trying times, it's essential to maintain connections with these pillars for personal growth, emotional wellbeing, and overall perseverance.


I think right now the way society's going, I think role models are important, and kids need direction. If I didn't have that direction growing up, who knows what I could be doing, because I've been lost many times in my life, and I've had to have someone guide me back on the right path.

- Jeremy Lin

My Life, Doing, Been, Right Path

My first dunk ever was in middle school. We were playing, me and my church friends, and I dunked it, and I swear I could not sleep that night.

- Jeremy Lin

Church, Middle, Could, Dunk

I've always been a target. Everyone looks me and says, 'I'm not going to let that Asian kid embarrass me. I'm going to go at him.' That's how it's been my whole life.

- Jeremy Lin

Always, Everyone, Been, Asian

Everyone looks me and says, 'I'm not going to let that Asian kid embarrass me. I'm going to go at him.' That's how it's been my whole life.

- Jeremy Lin

Everyone, Going, Been, Asian

There is so much temptation to hold on to my career even more now. To try to micromanage and dictate every little aspect. But that's not how I want to do things anymore. I'm thinking about how can I trust God more. How can I surrender more? How can I bring him more glory? It's a fight. But it's one I'm going to keep fighting.

- Jeremy Lin

Trust, Career, About, Temptation

The first time I went to Taiwan, there were cameras, paparazzi, TV stations outside my hotel twenty-four hours a day nonstop.

- Jeremy Lin

Hours, Stations, TV, Paparazzi

I have worked out with the Thunder, Lakers, Knicks, Grizzlies, Spurs, and a few others before the draft. I have worked out primarily against shorter and supposedly faster players in these workouts.

- Jeremy Lin

Before, Lakers, Supposedly, Knicks

With all the media attention, all the love from the fans, I felt I needed to prove myself. Prove that I'm not a marketing tool, I'm not a ploy to improve attendance. Prove I can play in this league. But I've surrendered that to God. I'm not in a battle with what everybody else thinks anymore.

- Jeremy Lin

Love, Play, Everybody, Ploy

I'm not playing for other people; if I start thinking in those terms I would put too much pressure on myself. I play basketball because that is what I love to do.

- Jeremy Lin

Love, Play, Other, Play Basketball

It seems like everybody's perception of me is very bipolar. To one group, it's overpaid, overrated; to another group, it's underpaid, underrated, underdog. It's funny to me because there's no real balance.

- Jeremy Lin

Underdog, Everybody, Very, Perception

Faith, family, academics and then sports was the order of priorities in my family. My parents really stuck to these principles when raising me and my two brothers. As long as we took care of everything, they let us play as much basketball as we wanted.

- Jeremy Lin

Faith, Play, Brothers, Stuck

I agreed to film after my rookie year in Golden State. I was more used to cameras and felt that my journey to the NBA was a story worth sharing. Little did we know how much bigger the platform and documentary would become after Linsanity.

- Jeremy Lin

Year, Used, Platform, My Journey

I'm going to make mistakes, I just have to be able to learn from them as quickly as possible. To learn faster, I watch film of myself and other good point guards, and then breaking down my mistakes and really analyzing them and seeing where I could have made better decisions.

- Jeremy Lin

Mistakes, Other, Quickly, Guards

I love my family, I love my relatives. One special request I have is for the media back in Taiwan to kind of give them their space because they can't even go to work without being bombarded and people following them.

- Jeremy Lin

Love, Back, Request, Relatives

I was shocked cause I didn't even know that they made my jersey. I didn't know that they made it so fast, so when I saw it I was like, I had to look three times and I was like, 'Did they customize that?' And then I saw a couple of other ones and I was like, ok, they must've made them overnight or something.

- Jeremy Lin

Other, Couple, Cause, OK

When you think about your relationship with Christ, it really just affects every aspect of your life. I think a lot of people try to segment off, like, 'This is church, so this is God, this is my daily life, this is my job,' but I think true faith is when it manifests itself in every single aspect of your life.

- Jeremy Lin

Church, I Think, About, Segment

I struggle with pride every day, but the one thing that I try to remind myself everyday is that I'm still a sinner no matter how many points/assists/win I get on the court.

- Jeremy Lin

Myself, Every Day, Still, Struggle

I love eating junk food. I'm a huge snacker, chips and candy.

- Jeremy Lin

Love, Chips, I Love, Junk Food

I would be a pastor. It is something I think about doing when my playing days are over.

- Jeremy Lin

Doing, Think, Over, Pastor

I've learned that social media and our private lives, you know, our private lives are not so private anymore, so it takes a little bit of getting used to.

- Jeremy Lin

Private, Lives, Learned, Social Media

I get scared of a lot of attention. I get scared of the spotlight. And I'm not talking about on the basketball court.

- Jeremy Lin

Talking, Not Talking, About, Scared

I just think in order for someone to understand my game, they have to watch me more than once, because I'm not going to do anything that's extra flashy or freakishly athletic.

- Jeremy Lin

Game, Think, Going, Extra

New York is fast paced, with enthusiastic fans and lots of media attention. Houston's slower paced, and there's more of a southern culture to the city. But both cities have unbelievable food.

- Jeremy Lin

New, Southern, Unbelievable, Slower

Coming out of college into the draft, being Asian-American and being from Harvard, that's not going to be an advantage because of stereotypes.

- Jeremy Lin

College, Stereotypes, Going, Harvard

I speak Mandarin and can read and write a little. I took a few classes at Harvard to get better in my reading and writing skills.

- Jeremy Lin

Took, Read, Classes, Harvard

In many ways, the longer I live, I understand that there are so many things outside my control. That's why I believe faith is such a big part of the story. There are so many things that were orchestrated by God, that were put into place to make this perfect storm, that created Linsanity.

- Jeremy Lin

Big, Perfect, Big Part, I Believe

I was a big Michael Jordan fan growing up. I don't feel my game resembles his though.

- Jeremy Lin

Game, Big, Michael Jordan, Jordan

I'm not like the next Michael Jordan, but I'm also not what everyone saw me as before I started playing in the NBA, either.

- Jeremy Lin

Next, Like, Michael Jordan, Jordan

The change that I never fall into is the, 'I'm-above-you-look-at-me-do-stuff-for-me change.' The change that I'm hoping I get to is where I become wiser, smarter - where I put myself in situations that don't have a huge potential for disaster.

- Jeremy Lin

Change, Myself, Put, Disaster

I was playing garbage minutes the first two to three weeks. There was definitely a little bit of 'what's going on?' in my prayers.

- Jeremy Lin

Going, Minutes, Weeks, Prayers

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