Jeremy Lin Announces Retirement After Nine-Year NBA career
Jeremy Lin, the former new York Knicks point guard who sparked the “Linsanity” phenomenon in 2012, announced his retirement from professional basketball on Sunday.The 35-year-old concluded a career that spanned the NBA, Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), adn Taiwan’s P. League+.
Lin’s NBA journey began after going undrafted in 2010, bouncing between the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets before finding a home with the Knicks.In February 2012, thrust into a starting role due to injuries, Lin ignited a national sensation with a series of remarkable performances. He scored 89 points in his first three starts, the most by any player since the 1976-77 NBA-ABA merger, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
During the height of “Linsanity,” Lin even outscored Miami Heat superstar LeBron James by 38-34 in a game, a performance James later praised, acknowledging Lin’s “perseverance and hard work.” The Knicks reached the playoffs that season, falling to James and the Heat in the first round.
Throughout his nine-year NBA career, Lin also played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, and Atlanta Hawks. He won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019, though he later expressed feeling he hadn’t earned the ring due to his performance during the playoffs.
Following a period of free agency after the championship season, Lin noted, “I had this 12-game stretch where I didn’t play that well, and that was it,” in a 2022 interview with Business Insider. “So you gotta think for me, after playing nine years in the league, I would expect like, OK, I have a reputation, people know what I can do. But I was pretty surprised at just how fast people were like,’OK,he’s done.'” He also suggested race may have played a role in the lack of NBA interest.
Lin continued his career in the CBA,becoming a star in China before a brief return to the NBA with the Warriors’ G-league affiliate,the Santa Cruz Warriors,in 2021. He finished his professional career in Taiwan, winning a championship and being named TPBL Finals MVP with the New Taipei Kings in June.
Over his NBA career, Lin averaged 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds,and 4.3 assists per game. He is the first asian American to win an NBA championship.
“I’ve lived out my wildest childhood dreams to play in front of fans all around the world,” Lin said in his retirement announcement. “I will forever be the kid who felt fully alive every time I touched a basketball.”
