NEW YORK (USA) - You will remember where you were and what you were doing when Jeremy Lin took center stage for the first time with the New York Knicks and exploded onto the scene.
Yes, his impact was that significant!
A virtual unknown, Jeremy Lin got his chance to play in the Big Apple—thanks in part to teammate Carmelo Anthony’s lobbying of coach Mike D’Antoni—and he made the most of it during an electrifying 11-game stretch that became known as “Linsanity.” During that run, he averaged 24.6 points, 9.2 assists, and 4.1 rebounds per game.
At the heart of the Mecca of Basketball—Madison Square Garden—this unexpected burst of talent took on a life of its own, and the phenomenon quickly became the biggest story in the basketball world.
Lin, who was 23 when Linsanity took over, is now 37 and has just announced his retirement.
Lin may not have experienced international basketball like FIBA legend Anthony, yet he grabbed the attention of fans the world over, fueling international interest in the sport with that incredible 11-game stretch in the 2011-12 season that helped get the Knicks on track to qualify for the NBA playoffs.
If China’s Yao Ming had proven that a center from Asia could dominate in the NBA, Jeremy Lin showed that point guards of Asian heritage could also thrive—effectively opening the door for future players to follow. At the time, that was far from a given. Stereotypes about Asian athletes were still deeply entrenched in the basketball world.
Japan's FIBA Asia Cup and Olympic star Yuki Kawamura is now a member of the Chicago Bulls after a season with Memphis.
Other Japanese have NBA connections, too. Kawamura's national teammate Rui Hachimura plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and Yuta Watanabe had a long run in the NBA before returning to play in Japan's B. League before last season.
I've lived out my wildest childhood dreams to play in front of fans all around the world
Memphis drafted China's 19-year-old center Yang Hansen No. 16 overall this summer and traded him to Portland.
Lin, who was from Palo Alto, California, which is where Stanford University is, crossed the country to play college basketball at Harvard.
He therefore struck a blow for the Ivy League schools, too, providing a reminder that their players are not only students at some of the world's leading universities but potential NBA players, too.
What was striking about Lin's play was that the way he attacked defenses. As The Athletic wrote, "his aggressive style challenged racial stereotypes surrounding Asian American players. As a point guard, he’s credited with showing that Asian Americans were not passive players incapable of leading an offense. His ability to dunk showcased his athleticism and set him apart as someone able to spark a fire in teammates and fans."
Lin's career was more than the 11-game stretch that catapulted him to fame, yet that period is what he is best remembered for. The 89 points he poured in in his first three starts with New York were the most by a player since NBA and ABA had merged in 1976-77, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
One of his most famous games came against Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and the Los Angeles Lakers (below) when he scored 36 points.
Lin did win an NBA championship as part of the 2018-19 Toronto Raptors, and in so doing became the first Asian American to do it.
Having first been a part of the Golden State Warriors, Lin also had runs with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks. He never had more than two seasons with any of the teams.
I will forever be the kid who felt fully alive every time I touched a basketball
Lin ultimately left America to play in China's CBA, where he was a huge star. After a brief stint in 2021 as part of Golden State's G-League team, Santa Cruz, he spent the rest of his career competing in China and Chinese Taipei. Lin's last time on the court was in June with the New Taipei Kings, and he ended it with a title and the honor as the league finals MVP.
In his retirement announcement posted on Lin's Instagram account, he said: "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 every time I touched a basketball."
FIBA