Taipei: Jeremy Lin, best known for his “Linsanity” run with the New York Knicks in 2012 and a one-time NBA champion, announced his retirement from professional basketball on Sunday after a decorated 15-year career in the United States, China, and Taiwan. “As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away,” said Lin, the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, in a bilingual social media post.
According to Focus Taiwan, Lin described his career as “the honor of a lifetime” and expressed pride in challenging stereotypes as one of the few Asian American players in NBA history. He is notably the first Asian American player to win an NBA championship, achieving this with the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Lin’s heartfelt farewell expressed gratitude to fans and highlighted his journey from a childhood dream to a global basketball career.
Born to a Taiwanese American family in the San Francisco Bay Area, Lin’s path to professional basketball was unconventio
nal. Despite receiving no athletic scholarship offers, he excelled at Harvard University and became a three-time All-Ivy League selection. Undrafted out of college, Lin began his NBA journey with the Golden State Warriors in 2010, but it was with the Knicks in 2012 that he became a household name, leading the team to a seven-game winning streak and sparking the “Linsanity” phenomenon.
Lin’s NBA career spanned nine seasons with eight teams, where he averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.8 rebounds over 480 regular-season games. After leaving the NBA in 2019, he continued his career in China and Taiwan, achieving significant success. In Taiwan, he won consecutive championships with the New Taipei Kings in 2024 and 2025 and was named the TPBL regular season MVP and Finals MVP.
The New Taipei Kings expressed their gratitude for Lin’s contributions, praising his professionalism, hard work, and selflessness. “He showed true professionalism during his time with the Kings, and those memories will continue to sta
y with the team. We are honored to have had Lin’s devotion and contributions over the years and wish him the best in the next chapter of his life,” the team said.
