Jeremy Lin retires after 15 years

For Jeremy Lin, the game that once turned him into a global sensation in New York and later crowned him a champion in Toronto has come to a close.

The Rebel Yellow - Issue #114

Jeremy Lin has officially retired after 15 years in pro basketball, ending a career that inspired fans across the world. A former NBA champion and Finals MVP in Taiwan’s pro league, Lin says leaving the game is “the hardest decision I’ve ever made.” Meanwhile, Japanese American activists are rallying to protect U.S. history sites like Manzanar from Trump-era censorship policies. In North Dakota, a new memorial now honors over 2,000 Japanese Americans once held at Fort Lincoln. Plus: a major AANHPI education bill awaits New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s signature, a Chinese doctor in Texas is accused of stealing U.S.-funded cancer research, and Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters breaks streaming records.

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Jeremy Lin retires after 15 years

Image via Wikimedia

For Jeremy Lin, the game that once turned him into a global sensation in New York and later crowned him a champion in Toronto has come to a close. At 37, the guard who inspired a generation of fans across the NBA, China and Taiwan announced on Instagram on Aug. 31 that he was retiring from professional basketball, calling it “the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”

Undrafted to “Linsanity”

Lin’s NBA journey began in 2010 when he signed with the Golden State Warriors after going undrafted out of Harvard. While playing for the New York Knicks in 2012, he ignited an 11-game stretch in which he averaged 23.9 points and 9.2 assists, a surge that captured headlines worldwide and was immortalized as “Linsanity.” He went on to play for the Rockets, Lakers, Hornets, Nets, Hawks and Raptors.

Over nine NBA seasons, Lin appeared in 480 games and posted averages of 11.6 points, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals. In 2019, he became the first Asian American player to win an NBA championship as a member of the Toronto Raptors, who defeated the Golden State Warriors in the Finals.

Legacy in Taiwan

After leaving the NBA, Lin extended his career in Asia, first joining the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association and then returning to Taiwan. With the New Taipei Kings in 2025, he delivered the franchise’s first Taiwan Professional Basketball League championship, earning Finals MVP honors after a seven-game series against the Kaohsiung Aquas.

That season he averaged 22.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, six assists and 1.9 steals while also being named league MVP, Finals MVP, All-First Team, All-Defensive First Team and Clutch Play of the Year. His final season cemented his impact on Taiwan’s professional basketball stage with both team success and individual accolades.

Emotional farewell

In his retirement post, Lin reflected on the weight of the moment. “As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away. I’ve spent my 15-year career knowing that one day I would have to walk away, and yet actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”

He added, “So many people have sacrificed and poured into my journey, more than I could ever repay. This is a ride I never wanted to end but I know it’s time. 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 everytime I touched a basketball."