In modern Asian American history, there is one name that stands apart – Jeremy Lin. For a brief moment in time, Jeremy Lin is the Asian American unicorn that captured the hearts and minds of Americans everywhere. Taiwanese American professional basketball player Jeremy Lin had been playing professionally overseas the past few years, and prior to that, in the NBA. He became one of the most known AMERICANS during his breakout NBA performance known as “LINSANITY.” Just learned that Jeremy Lin retires from 15 years as a professional basketball player, announced Saturday night on Instagram.
“As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away. I’ve spent my 15 year career knowing that one day I would have to walk away, and yet actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made.
It’s been the honor of a lifetime to compete against the fiercest competitors under the brightest lights and to challenge what the world thought was possible for someone who looks like me. I’ve lived out my wildest childhood dreams to play in front of fans all around the world. I will forever be the kid who felt fully alive everytime I touched a basketball.
So many people have sacrificed and poured into my journey, more than I could ever repay. Thank you all for believing in me, for walking with me, for celebrating my highs and picking me up in my lows. This is a ride I never wanted to end but I know it’s time. I will forever miss playing basketball in front of you all but our time will go beyond just playing. Here’s to what’s ahead.
Love you all ❤️”
As The New York Times reported:
“Jeremy Lin may have never won a ring for the New York Knicks. And his star turn at Madison Square Garden lasted mere months. But in that stretch, his electric play propelled a moribund team into the playoffs, rejuvenated bored fans and started a craze: “Linsanity.”
On Saturday, Lin’s career came to an end. The journeyman, who spent 15 years on N.B.A. teams and in leagues in Asia, announced his retirement from professional basketball on his Instagram account.
The unlikely star, a walk-on at Harvard who went undrafted, outshined the league’s biggest names in 2012. Few had heard of Lin, a bench player who joined the N.B.A. in 2010, when the Knicks picked him up a year later. And even fewer expected him to stand out.
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The improbable starter led the team on a seven-game winning streak and averaged 22 points a game before the All-Star break. Madison Square Garden was alive again, brimming with the usual fans, like Spike Lee, and the casual fans, many of whom had lost faith in the perpetual losers.
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As Lin’s jerseys sold out and the Knicks dominated sports headlines, fans and commentators began to describe the mania surrounding him as Linsanity.With the Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant, set to play at Madison Square Garden, Bryant — never shy about taunting opponents — weighed in on the frenzy. “Who is this kid?” the five-time champion said on the eve of the matchup.
The next night, Lin dropped 38 points on Bryant in a stunning Knicks win. D’Antoni, the coach, later remembered Lin coming up to him after the win and saying, I guess Kobe knows my name now.
Harvey Araton, a Times columnist, mused the next day that Lin was “the Knicks’ grandest stroke of fortune” since signing Knicks legend Patrick Ewing in 1985. One fan, The Times reported, said he had not seen a mood like the one Lin inspired since 1955, when he first started attending games.
By the time Lin led his team to victory over Bryant’s Lakers, he had already become a New York icon and had inspired a new generation of young Asian American basketball fans. His status as a role model, he would later say, took him years to embrace.”
Covering Jeremy Lin Over the Years
I first saw and blogged about Jeremy Lin when he was still a senior at Harvard. Harvard played the San Francisco Bay Area’s Santa Clara University – a short drive where Jeremy Lin grew up in Palo Alto in January 2010. I attended my first NBA game and blogged about when Jeremy Lin began his career at the Golden State Warriors during the 2010 – 2011 season:
I have covered Jeremy Lin throughout his career here at 8asians. Here are some selected highlights:
- Jeremy Lin Drives it to the Basket as Harvard Defeats Santa Clara University (1/16/10)
- Jeremy Lin’s Regular Season NBA Debut at Warriors’ Asian Heritage Night (11/3/10)
- LINSANITY, the Documentary Kicks Off CAAMFest 2013 & the Opening Night Gala at the Asian Art Museum in SF (3/18/13)
- 60 Minutes: Linsanity: Jeremy Lin’s Rise to Stardom (4/8/13)
- I’m Not Jeremy Lin’s Dad: Lin’s Return to the Oracle Arena (4/15/13)
- Jeremy Lin’s Return to the Oracle Arena Against the Golden State Warriors (2013 – 2014 Season) (12/16/13)
- Charlotte Hornets’ Jeremy Lin Takes on the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena (2/15/16)
- Asian American Commercial Watch: Stephen Curry & Jeremy Lin Featuring in NBA Chinese New Year Secret Envelope Staring (1/20/17)
- The Brooklyn Nets’ Jeremy Lin Returns to Oracle Arena (2/27/17)
- ICYMI: Toronto Raptors’ Jeremy Lin first Asian American to Win NBA Championship (6/24/19)
- Jeremy Lin Joins the Beijing Ducks (9/3/19)
- “38 At the Garden” – A Community Conversation with Jeremy Lin (6/1/22)
The funniest experience covering Jeremy Lin I’ve ever had definitely had to be that after being interview by Warriors TV, a couple of kids came up to me asking for my autograph. When they saw my press pass (I have the same last name as Jeremy), they thought that I was his father!
Summarizing his NBA Career
Personally, I love what Jeremy did for Asian Americans – showing that there are no limits to what we can be, from ‘Model Minority’ to an NBA professional basketball player. I however do wonder if people’s expectations – especially Asian Americans – were a bit unrealistic because of Linsanity. Jeremy is a good, if not above average, role player. There was no way though that he was going to be able to sustain that kind of performance he had during Linsanity. I am sure Jeremy would be the first to say that he’s no Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James or Stephen Curry.
Jeremy spent nine seasons in the NBA. In comparison, the average tenure of an NBA basketball player is 4.5 years. According to this website, Jeremy’s lifetime earnings from his NBA salary alone totaled $65 million dollars. Jeremy had a great career in the NBA. He even won an NBA championship, which most NBA players never do!
This August, I had a chance to attend a special podcast recording interview with Jeremy Lin. The interview contained very raw and honest insight into Jeremy’s journey and career as a basketball player. I also got to take this picture with Jeremy with some of my friends.
This picture is a vast improvement from my previous best effort to get a picture with Jeremy. I got this one as he exited a San Francisco Chinatown theater at a community viewing of 38 at the Garden.
I will definitely blog about the podcast when it comes out. At the time of the recording, Jeremy was still debating whether or not retire or not. Maybe he had already made the decision but wasn’t going to announce his decision at that event.
Jeremy Lin’s Legacy and Next Steps
I hope that Jeremy stays in the San Francisco Bay Area home, so I can continue to see him in the public. When Linsanity was happening, people wondered if I was related to Jeremy since I kept posting on social media about him and sharing the same last name. Part of his legacy is inspiring Asian American athletes, but he currently has other interests such as investing internationally and running a foundation. He is also training the next generation of AAPI basketball players. Maybe some will make it as professional athletes!
