'Proud of where I'm at': Jeremy Lin on life after the NBA, reinvention and redefining success

This week, NBA champion, entrepreneur and investor Jeremy Lin takes us on his journey from underdog to global sports phenomenon. From going undrafted out of Harvard to finding himself at the center of "Linsanity," Jeremy has had a career unlike almost any other. Now, a year after retiring, he's building the next chapter of his career and seeking to redefine success beyond basketball. We get a special peek into Jeremy’s world on and off the court, hear about his ambitions in media, startups and VC, and meet "the one person" whom Jeremy says has helped him and his brand the most: JLIN LLC CEO (and Jeremy's sister-in-law!) Patricia Sun. In this episode, we dive into: 00:00: Introduction 01:28: Walk & talk at Jeremy's basketball training camp for young AAPI athletes 04:56: How would the students describe Coach Jeremy? 05:54: Developing a winning mindset 07:00: Transitioning to life after retirement 09:24: Find joy in the journey: What he's hoping to pass down to the next generation 11:22: Sitting down with Jeremy in-studio 11:56: Playing at the YMCA: The beginning of Jeremy’s basketball journey 13:10: Why basketball felt like an escape 14:05: The moment the NBA dream actually felt real 14:57: Going undrafted and overcoming self-doubt 17:36: What it felt like to live through Linsanity 19:30: Handling pressure and overthinking 19:54: Highlight moments: Scoring 38 points against the LA Lakers, Kobe Bryant 21:13: Winning the NBA championship — and not feeling enough 23:05: Managing self-talk and criticism 24:33: Learning to be proud of where you’re at 28:01: Chopping a long-term goal into "10,000 small goals" 29:30: Ad 32:10: Rebuilding his career after injury 33:50: Going overseas 34:23: Competing with yourself 36:35: Playing basketball in Asia 37:23: Representation in sports: How perceptions of Asian athletes have changed 35:20: Couch-surfing: Crashing with Landry Fields, his brother and sister-in-law 38:49: Introduction to Patricia Sun, the CEO behind Jeremy Lin's brand 40:50: How Patricia became Jeremy’s business partner 42:10: How Jeremy’s family managed the rise of Linsanity 43:11: Building a global brand strategy 43:54: What being "mission-driven" really means 45:08: Ad 47:32: How to evaluate deals and decipher which ones to turn down 48:11: What it's like to work with family 49:52: Entering the VC world: What the team looks for when investing in startups 51:39: Opportunities in Southeast Asia 52:20: Investment strategy and business vision 54:48: Jeremy’s next big career goal 56:26: The long-term vision for JLIN LLC 58:16: Starting a hydration drinks brand in Taiwan and staying true to their values 01:00:00: Audience question 01:02:20: Cultural differences: Jeremy’s funniest story from playing in both the NBA and CBA 01:03:05: Rapid-fire round This episode is brought to you by our show sponsors: Perplexity Computer — try it for free for a limited time at: http://pplx.ai/BTB Chime — sign up for 5% cash back at: https://www.chime.com/BTB Policygenius — see how much you could save on life insurance at: http://policygenius.com/BTB OneSkin — get 15% off with code "BTB" at: http://oneskin.co/BTB 🚀 Season 2 of Behind the Business is here, featuring the leaders of brands including Airbnb, Rivian, NYSE, Canva, Samsung, Poppi, Peloton, Revolve, Lucid Motors, PHLUR, The Points Guy and Away. New episodes Thursdays. 👇🏼 SUBSCRIBE + FOLLOW: YouTube: https://bit.ly/YTBTB Apple Podcasts: http://bit.ly/3IFGuIA Spotify: https://bit.ly/SpotiBTB Amazon Music: http://bit.ly/4pPZZPp 🎙️ About Behind the Business Behind the Business is a Webby Award-winning, thoughtfully produced video podcast grounded in the belief that business is in fact personal. This is not a fawning interview show. We pair deep research with thorough interviews — asking the real questions and avoiding fluff, while keeping it fun! What’s the toughest day you’ve ever had at work? How did you get started when you practically had no money? Or how do you mentally prep for a big event? In each episode, guests get into it all. Each episode also connects guests with young founders who send in a question. New episodes Thursdays. About Michelle Toh Michelle is an award-winning international journalist, most recently a longtime reporter at CNN. She's covered top stories in global business, including the chip and trade wars, world-leading IPOs, the corporate response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Europe's energy crisis and China's property crunch. Previously, she was with FORTUNE. She has reported for The New York Times, TIME and South China Morning Post. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bymichelletoh TikTok: behindthebusinessshow #jeremylin #linsanity #nba #basketball #athlete #leadership #leadershipmindset #brandbuilding #entrepreneurship #investing #business #leadership #career #careergrowth #careerjourney #startups #sportsbusiness #philanthropy #AsianAmerican #AAPI Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices