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Josh Lins ’16 didn’t ease into his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers–he started on the day history was made. Day one on the job coincided with Game One of the NBA Finals, the season the Cavs rallied from a 3–1 deficit to capture the championship. 

“Before I even finished onboarding, I was being handed a championship ring and walking in a parade,” Lins says. “It was surreal.” Today, Lins is the team’s senior vice president of premium and ticket sales. Over the past decade, he has navigated the organization’s highs and lows while working to elevate the fan experience regardless of the scoreboard. 

Stay The Course

During the Cavaliers’ four straight NBA Finals appearances, “it didn’t take a good salesperson to make a sale,” Lins says. But when the team’s standing dropped, ticket sales followed. Then, in 2020, the pandemic halted sports altogether. 

“My job was essentially irrelevant,” he recalls. “There was no playbook for success in a moment like this. Yet it was an opportunity to demonstrate that I was capable of being a good leader.” 

In an industry that often experiences swings in demand, Lins has helped the Cavaliers build a streak of more than 180 consecutive sell-outs, sustained by marketing strategies he continues to refine. “We’re focused on a year-round membership with exclusive benefits that help create loyalty,” he explains. 

Young professionals in his field often move from team to team to grow their careers, but Lins has stayed rooted in Cleveland. “I believe we have one of the strongest cultures in all of sports,” he says. “If you have credible leaders who care about you and who continually provide you new opportunities, there’s no reason to look elsewhere.”

As a senior vice president, he now works to provide that same support for his staff of 80. “Helping someone else get promoted is much more fulfilling than getting promoted myself at this point.”

Knight For Life

Lins’ work ethic developed early. He got his first job at the age of eight, working on a blueberry farm—followed by a decade of summers at a greenhouse. A Christian school education also gave him a strong foundation and guided him toward Calvin. “I wanted to finish my education in a similar environment,” Lins says. “My high school mascot was a Knight, so I joke that I took ‘Knight for Life’ to a whole new level.” 

At Calvin, he first majored in education, considering a career in coaching or athletic administration, but campus opportunities nudged him toward marketing and sport management. 

An internship with the Grand Rapids Drive, a part-time job at the fieldhouse, and coaching eighth grade basketball at Ada Christian Middle School proved formative. “Those opportunities wouldn’t have been available to me if it weren’t for Calvin,” says Lins, who also valued the close-knit community he found there.

Magic In The Stands

For Lins, basketball is more than just a game; he values the way athletics brings fans together and generates camaraderie. 

“You don’t know the person on your left or your right, but by the end of the game, you’re high-fiving, you’re hugging. No matter your differences, for those few hours, you have one common goal. Seeing our fan community band together—that’s something that really fulfills me.” 

A Fair Shot

As much as he loves his work, Lins keeps it in perspective, and his faith guides his relationships and priorities. “The ultimate leader in history is Christ. You can be confident and still have humility. I try to share the Gospel one-on-one, but sometimes it’s simply a matter of how I lead or where I give my time.” His career achievements and civic contributions earned him recognition in Cleveland’s 2025 “40 Under 40.” 

Lins serves on the executive board for Pathway Caring for Children, a Cleveland nonprofit focused on foster care, adoption, and mental health services. “I really like aligning with organizations that give kids a fair shot at life. I think everyone deserves that at the early stages of their life.” 

Reflecting on his path, he offers this takeaway: “Adversity breeds opportunity. The hardship itself doesn’t define you. Stay curious. Keep a growth mindset. Be consistently reliable instead of occasionally extraordinary—even when it’s hard to be the person who never gives up.”