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‘Linsanity’ in Cambridge as former alum donates $1M to Harvard – Metro US

‘Linsanity’ in Cambridge as former alum donates $1M to Harvard

‘Linsanity’ in Cambridge as former alum donates $1M to Harvard
David Butler II/USA TODAY

Brooklyn Nets player Jeremy Lin is donating $1 million to Harvard University in support of the program that propelled him into the professional arena,

The gift by the 2010 Harvard alum will pay for renovations to the Cambridge-based college’s arena and support undergraduate financial aid, the Harvard Gazette wrote.

“Without question, my time at Harvard prepared me well for success both on and off the court,” Lin told the Gazette while in Boston Wednesday with the Nets to play against the Celtics in the teams’ NBA opener. “I’m honored to put that same world-class education in reach for deserving students and to support improvements to the facilities where I spent countless hours practicing and competing.”

Lin scored 18 points in his debut as a Net.

In 2012, Lin rocketed to celebrity status by bringing “Linsanity” to a lackluster New York Knicks team. He unexpectedly led the losing Knicks in a spurt of wins.

A three-time All-Ivy selection, Lin helped put Harvard’s Crimson on the map. The Crimson had never won an Ivy League basketball championship before winning or sharing five in a row from 2011 to 2015.

“Including Lin’s time with the Crimson, the stature of Harvard basketball has grown substantially in the last decade. Harvard’s men’s teams have been among the most successful in the Ivy League and the nation during this historic stretch,” the Crimson reported.

Some are calling Lin’s gift a drop in the bucket for the nation’s wealthiest college.

Despite his generosity,the Washington Postlikened Lin’s donation to a $1 donation anywhere else.

Measured up against Harvard’s $37.6 billion endowment, Lin’s contribution represents just 0.00003 percent.