Former NBA guard Jeremy Lin has turned his off‑court passion into a yearly gathering that blends basketball drills with mentorship, hosting his JLIN NextGen Basketball Camp at Menlo College in Atherton, California.
The camp, now in its tenth iteration, draws high‑school prospects from across the United States, offering not only shooting and footwork sessions but also workshops on financial literacy, leadership and the emerging landscape of name, image and likeness opportunities.
A Holistic Approach to Player Development
Lin, who rose to fame during the 2012 Linsanity phenomenon, speaks openly about the anxiety that accompanied his rapid ascent and the burden of representing an under‑represented community. He says the camp’s mission is to replace fear‑based motivation with joy‑driven encouragement, a philosophy he hopes will stick with participants long after they leave the court.
Among the attendees are rising stars such as Myles Che, a junior guard from St. Mary’s College, and Radhika Garapaty, a sophomore at Yale University. Both cite Lin’s visibility as a catalyst for their own ambitions, noting that seeing an Asian‑American athlete discuss mental health and financial planning normalizes conversations that were once taboo.
Beyond the hardwood, the camp cultivates a sense of belonging among AAPI youth, aiming to build a supportive network that extends into college and professional pathways. Organizers partner with institutions like Harvard University, St. Mary’s College and Yale University to provide resources and mentorship that bridge sport and academia.