Revisiting the best of Linsanity after Jeremy Lin's retirement announcement

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. That’s the feeling former NBA point guard Jeremy Lin has after announcing his retirement from the game of basketball over the weekend. Lin donned eight NBA jerseys during his nine-year run in the Association, ultimately ending it in Toronto during their championship year of 2018-19 coming off the bench.

Lin played in 23 games for the Raptors that year and scored 20 points in a win against his old team the Knicks that March. But the whole Linsanity craze began in NYC when he burst onto the scene stealing the show whether anyone like it or not.

“As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away,” Lin said. “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.”

Jeremy Lin defied the odds, beginning with Linsanity

Lin defied the odds in just making it to the NBA let alone sticking around for nearly a decade. There haven’t been a ton of players from Asian descent to have made a real impact on the NBA. Yao Ming is the most well-known and rightfully so since he had a Hall of Fame career. Despite having that in common, Lin wasn’t 7-foot-6 and didn’t come into the league with any hype as an undrafted free agent.

Culturally, the Linsanity experience meant the world to Asian American representation in North American professional sports, especially in the NBA. Lin was a phenomenon who challenged stereotypes while becoming a role model in his own community and others. Lin’s inclusion and rise to stardom became a sense of pride for the Asian American community and other minority groups, showing that there is no substitute for a work ethic that never quits.

“So many people have sacrificed and poured into my journey, more than I could ever repay,” Lin wrote. “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.”

Nothing was expected of Lin and many undrafted players would’ve been written off after the rookie year he had. He averaged 2.6 points per game for the Golden State Warriors which was a dream come true in itself for Lin having grown up in the Bay Area. But it wasn’t until the next season in New York where the legend of Linsanity began to grow.

The thrill ride that was Linsanity

The Linsanity of it all reached its peak that season in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers led by Kobe Bryant where Lin scored 38 points in 38 minutes leading the Knicks to a 92-85 victory. Lin even outscored Bryant in this game, who posted 34 points in 41 minutes of game time. Linsanity would go on through the remainder of that season where Lin would play in 35 games for the Knicks, while staring in 25 of them.

While his career continued with multiple teams, that Knicks run is what made Lin in the NBA. After winning a ring in 2019 with the Raptors, Lin made one last attempt at the NBA playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors of the G League in 2021. After wrapping up the NBA portion of his hoops career, Lin headed off to play overseas for another six years up until earlier this year.

Overall, Lin had a solid basketball career overall lasting 15 years in the pros and providing a rollercoaster ride called “Linsanity” that basketball fans will never forget.