The Toronto Raptors have been able to retain tons of the heavy hitters from the 2018-19 championship team, but point guard Jeremy Lin hasn’t sniffed the NBA after getting his first rin as a member of the Toronto bench.
Lin was not the sensation that he was in the early parts of his career, as an NBA career that was mired by injuries over the last few seasons has made it tough for him to cement himself as a long-term fixture. Now 32, Lin is on the back-nine of his career.
After leaving the NBA for the Beijing Ducks in China, Lin returned to the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors in order to try and make one final NBA roster. Unfortunately, teams like the Raptors passed up on him several times over, and he seems to be wrapping his head around the fact that he might end up without any more opportunities to play professionally.
Lin gave it one more go to make it to the NBA, but he didn’t latch on after his May 16 self-imposed deadline. While the word “retire” never came out of his mouth in this brief statement, this certainly does look like Lin is starting to plan his life after basketball as his chances to make it to the NBA dwindle.
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) May 18, 2021
Toronto Raptors champion Jeremy Lin might be done.
Lin’s time with the New York Knicks remains one of the most jaw-dropping times in recent NBA history. Lin wasn’t able to necessarily match that production in Houston, Charlotte, or Brooklyn, but he did carve out a career that is MUCH more impressive than most undrafted free agents that roll around.
With the Raptors, who signed him after Atlanta waived the Harvard alum, Lin averaged 7.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game on 37% shooting. Lin became the first Asian-American player in NBA history to win a title, further showing the indelible mark he has left on the game over the last few years. It’s a shame his career had to ebb away like this.
Lin didn’t put up the gaudiest numbers with the Raptors, but he gave Toronto some extra security on the bench. Against the Knicks on March 18 of that season, Lin had 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting as the Raptors won by 36.
Lin captivated the basketball world with his Knicks run and helped the Raptors win their first championship. Unfortunately, his chance to make one more go of it in the league has failed, it seems, and he may not lace them up for the remainder of the season.