For any NBA player, longevity in the league requires them to play at their best. Jeremy Lin tried to do that, but some factors held him from reaching his peak. His injuries are textbook, a bane any cager would have to overcome. The American-Asian tried his most darn best, but the odds were simply stacked against him.
To his credit, Lin did win an NBA title - a prime goal of any pro cager. However, most know that the 31-year-old hardly had a hand in helping the Toronto Raptors win the 2018-19 NBA title. And apparently, telling people the feeling of winning a prestigious cage title is a bit half-cooked but something Lin needs to share per a report from NBA.com.
The worse part of Lin's NBA journey is that after that feat, he found himself heading out the door. No team took a chance on Linsanity, leaving him no choice but to take his act elsewhere. Lin now suits up for the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) where he is putting up decent numbers. Proballers.com reveals the 6-foot-3 averaging 24 points, six rebounds and six assists thus far, decent numbers but perhaps unsurprising considering his NBA playing experience.
It has been a roller-coaster NBA ride for Lin, who gained prominence when he broke out with the New York Knicks back during the 2011-2012 season. That led to him becoming an interesting to several teams that included the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and the Atlanta Hawks. Among those teams, the best performances he had were with the Hornets and the Hawks.
It will not be surprising if Lin is not entirely closing the book on his NBA career. He remains a free agent in waiting and could get a call. But with a swelling list of free-agent candidates waiting for a call as well, the odds of him returning to the big league just got harder.
Regardless, Lin could eventually embrace his new CBA career. He is playing in a country that undoubtedly loves him. Ironically, some former NBA stars ended up playing in the Chinese league. One player who ended up retiring in the CBA is Stephon Marbury, another player the Asian country has grown to love.
It all boils down to Lin, embracing his fate and continuing to play the game he loves. The CBA and the NBA may be entirely different, but at least the undrafted player from the 2010 NBA Draft remains actively playing in front of fans who adore him.
