Jeremy Lin Retires After 15 Years in Professional Basketball
jeremy-lin-retires-after-15-years-in-professional-basketball
Former NBA guard Jeremy Lin announced on Instagram Tuesday that he is stepping away from basketball, ending a professional career that began in 2010 and spanned three continents.
“As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away,” the 37-year-old wrote, calling the decision “the hardest” he has ever made. Lin added that competing “under the brightest lights” and challenging perceptions of Asian athletes had been “the honor of a lifetime.”
From Harvard to “Linsanity”
Undrafted out of Harvard in 2010, Lin latched on with the Golden State Warriors but saw limited action as a rookie, appearing in 28 games and spending significant time in the then-D League. Waived by Golden State and later by Houston, he was claimed by the New York Knicks days before the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season.
Lin’s electrifying 26-game run with New York in February and March 2012—during which he averaged 18.5 points, 7.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 34.2 minutes—sparked the global “Linsanity” phenomenon and helped the Knicks revive their season.
NBA Journey and Championship Ring
As a restricted free agent in 2012, Lin signed an Arenas-provision contract with the Houston Rockets, where he spent two seasons before stints with the Lakers, Hornets, Nets, Hawks and Raptors. He earned an NBA championship ring as a reserve with Toronto in 2019.
Across 480 regular-season games—221 of them starts—Lin averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 25.3 minutes while shooting .433 from the field, .342 from three and .809 at the foul line.
Late-Career Stops Abroad
Since leaving the NBA in 2019, Lin has played primarily in China and Taiwan. He attempted an NBA comeback during the 2020-21 season with the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors but did not return to the league.
Lin concluded his message by reflecting on a childhood spent dreaming of playing in front of fans worldwide, saying he would “forever be the kid who felt fully alive every time I touched a basketball.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
