After a brief stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors, NBA veteran Jeremy Lin returns to China to join the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association.
At 33 years old, Jeremy Lin has had quite the basketball journey, from Harvard to feverish Knicks “Linsanity” to the resulting seven-year journey involving six different NBA teams.
But Lin’s basketball career is far from over, he’s just taking his talents elsewhere. After a brief stint with the Santa Cruz Warriors, the G League affiliate for the Golden State Warriors, Lin rejoined the Chinese Basketball Association and signed with the Beijing Ducks on Nov. 30. Like his recent Bay Area return, this will be the second stint Lin has with the Ducks, who he played with during the 2019-20 season.
“Playing basketball in China feels at home,” he was quoted as saying. “Thanks all fans for the support, and I am looking forward to the second and third phase of this season.”
Jeremy Lin returns to play ball in China with the Beijing Ducks
Lin has battled adversity at every point in his career, from going undrafted to leading the Knicks to a 2012 playoff appearance. Since his flash of brilliance with the Knicks, several NBA teams have attempted to glean the same production out of Lin, but no one has been successful. The longest stints Lin has had have been with the Houston Rockets and the Brooklyn Nets, each of which lasted two years. Lin did earn an NBA Championship in 2019 with the Toronto Raptors, but it was the only year he spent with the team.
Lin made history as the first Asian American to win an NBA Championship, as well as the first East Asian American and the first Harvard graduate to play in the NBA Finals. When the Raptors let Lin fall to free agency, Lin likened his situation to hitting “rock bottom“, stating that he felt like the NBA had “kind of given up” on him.
Before signing with the Ducks, Lin was looking to rejoin the NBA after a year with the Santa Cruz Warriors. The G-League Warriors signed Lin in January 2021 through the new NBA Veteran exception rule, which “allows teams to designate one NBA Veteran Selection to join a team’s 10-man roster.”
Lin played in nine games, averaging 19.8 points per game with 6.4 assists. Lin also made 50.5 percent from the field and made 42.6 percent on 3-point shots. Still, the productive performances weren’t enough to catch the eye of any NBA team, so Lin returned to the Ducks to continue his basketball career in the CBA.
During his last season with the Ducks, Lin took the CBA by storm as he racked up awards and nominations with his skills.
Lin was nominated to the CBA All-Star Game, where he scored 41 points. During the season, he averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists, earning him a finalist spot as the CBA Defensive Player of the Year.
Lin can still player basketball, but in the ultra-competitive U.S. market that recruits the best players from around the world, Lin might be better suited sharing his talents in a league that values his output.