On August 31, Jeremy Lin officially announced his retirement from professional basketball, bringing his remarkable 15-year career to a close at the age of 37. Sharing an emotional letter on his social media accounts, Lin described the decision as “the hardest” of his life, even though he had long known it was inevitable. “Actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” Lin wrote. “I will forever be the kid who felt fully alive every time I touched a basketball.”
As a Taiwanese-American, Lin often spoke about representation and breaking barriers. Reflecting on his journey, he wrote: “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.”
Jeremy Lin defied the odds from the very beginning. Undrafted out of Harvard, he burst into the global spotlight in 2012 during his historic “Linsanity” run with the New York Knicks. He later became the first Asian-American to win a NBA championship as part of the Toronto Raptors in 2019. Over nine NBA seasons, Lin played for eight teams. Beyond the NBA, he continued to impact basketball in Asia—leading the Beijing Ducks to the CBA playoffs and then Taiwan’s P. League+ in 2025. His retirement has sparked an outpouring of tributes.
While Lin hasn’t announced his next move, he made one thing clear: “Our time will go beyond just playing… Here’s to what’s ahead” as his video tribute ended with a family shot of Jeremy Lin with his wife and son.
Photo: jlin7
