BROOKLYN Nets guard Jeremy Lin is donating US$1 million to Harvard to help pay for renovation of the school’s basketball arena and for undergraduate financial aid.

    Lin says his time at Harvard prepared him to be successful both on and off the court. He says he wanted to put the same opportunities within reach of other deserving students.

    A three-time All-Ivy selection before graduating in 2010, Lin helped establish Harvard as a power in the academic-minded conference. The Crimson had never won an Ivy League basketball championship before winning or sharing five in a row from 2011-15.

    The gym now known as Lavietes Pavilion was built in 1926 and originally held Harvard’s indoor track and batting cages. It was refurbished in 1981. The current renovation is expected to be completed in time for the 2017-18 basketball season.

    Lin was in Boston with the Nets to play the Celtics in the teams’ NBA openers.

    The Nets made a valiant effort late against the Celtics, but ultimately fell short, losing their season opener 122-117 Wednesday night.

    Jeremy had 18 points, three assists and three rebounds for the Nets.

    With 2:31 left to play, Brooklyn’s Trevor Booker made a layup to cut the Celtics’ lead to 10 points and Boston coach Brad Stevens pointed at his resting starters and told them to get back on the floor.

    The Nets had erased most of a 23-point deficit against the Boston backups, and they would make it an eight-point game before Stevens got his first team back in.

    “It’s a reminder of how quickly things can turn in this league,” Stevens said after his starters preserved the victory in the season opener on Wednesday night.

    “I probably will be less likely to leave them in that long if we’re in a similar scenario. Hopefully we learn from it, and we’re not.”

    Isaiah Thomas had 25 points and nine assists, Jae Crowder added 21 points and Al Horford pitched in 11 in his Boston debut for the Celtics.(SD-Agencies)