Jeremy Lin got emotional while announcing his plan to return to the NBA after spending the last season playing in China for the Beijing Ducks.
The 32-year-old spoke highly of his experience with the Ducks, as he averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game during the regular season while leading the team to the semifinals of the Chinese Basketball Association. But he made it clear that his goal is to play in the NBA again.
“This decision has really been the hardest in my life,” Lin said. “Every morning I would wake up at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m., thinking, thinking and thinking all the time. In the end, although Shougang has treated me incredibly well … giving me everything I wanted, in the end, I feel that I still have NBA dreams. I still have time to play, and I have to chase this.”
Lin last played for the Toronto Raptors during the 2019 season, becoming the first Asian-American to win an NBA championship while averaging seven points and 2.2 assists a game. If Lin wants to get his NBA career back on track, he will need to stay healthy. He was once one of the biggest names in the league, as his high level of play on the Knicks sparked the “Linsanity” phenomenon in 2012.
But in the years since, he has struggled with a myriad injuries and became an NBA journeyman for several seasons before joining the Ducks after winning a championship with Toronto last season.
