Jeremy Lin‘s journey in the NBA was nothing short of a cinematic narrative, filled with groundbreaking highs and challenging lows. Lin, a Harvard graduate, burst onto the NBA scene and captured the world’s attention with “Linsanity.” However, his trajectory in the league took a turn, leading him to exit the NBA. In the article below, we’ll talk about the reasons behind Lin’s departure from the league.
Jeremy Lin Career Statistics
Jeremy’s career started in 2010 with the Golden State Warriors and his tenure there was relatively modest. He eventually became a core component of other franchises he played for later in his career and he racked up some great stats. Below, we’ve listed out the teams that he’s played with, as well as his stats overall at each.
| Season | Team | Games (Started) | Minutes | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Points |
| 2010 | Warriors | 29 (0) | 9.8 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 2.6 |
| 2011 | Knicks | 35 (25) | 26.9 | 3.1 | 6.2 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 14.6 |
| 2012 | Rockets | 82 (82) | 32.2 | 3.0 | 6.1 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 13.4 |
| 2013 | Rockets | 71 (33) | 28.9 | 2.6 | 4.1 | 1.0 | 0.4 | 12.5 |
| 2014 | Lakers | 74 (30) | 25.8 | 2.6 | 4.6 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 11.2 |
| 2015 | Hornets | 78 (13) | 26.3 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 11.7 |
| 2016 | Nets | 36 (33) | 24.5 | 3.8 | 5.1 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 14.5 |
| 2017 | Nets | 1 (1) | 25.0 | 0.0 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 18.0 |
| 2018 | Hawks | 51 (1) | 19.7 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 10.7 |
| 2018 | Raptors | 23 (3) | 18.8 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 7.0 |
What’s important to note here is that during the 2017-18 season, Lin suffered a season-ending knee injury; if you look at his statistics after that season, it’s easy to tell that he was not the same player he was before. He had a couple of injuries prior to this one, but nothing of this magnitude.
Many professional athletes will tell you that injuring your knee, Achilles tendon, ACL, or MCL can profoundly affect they way you play and how aggressive you can be. This injury is definitely one of the main drivers as to why Jeremy Lin may not be able to play in the league today.
Reasons Why Jeremy Lin Is No Longer In The NBA
Below, we’ve listed out some of the reasons we believe why Jeremy Lin is no longer in the NBA. It simply boils down to the following: lack of NBA contract offers, injury history, declining performance, and last but certainly not least, persisting stereotypes about Asians in the league.
- Lack of Contract Offers: Despite his proven track record, Lin faced limited options during free agency due to diminishing playing time, declining performance, and perceived stereotypes. During a speech Lin Gave on GOOD TV, he discussed how difficult free agency has been and that he felt as though, “the NBA has given up on me.” You can watch that video below.
- Injury Concerns: Lin dealt with several injuries that impacted his performance and limited his playing time. Injuries included martial left meniscus tear, chest contusion, and hamstring injuries. This raised concerns about his long-term durability, especially as he neared the age of 30.
- Declining Performance: A perceived decline in his performance, especially compared to his peak during Linsanity, may have led teams to question his long-term potential. While he was definitely not the worst player in the league toward the end of his NBA career, the relative comparison showed how far he fell.
- Perceived Stereotypes: Lin may have faced biases and stereotypes that teams had about Asian players, hindering his opportunities in the NBA. He was amongst the 0.5% of Asian-Americans to play in D1 basketball and was the first to win an NBA Championship. Lack of representation often leads to unconscious biases, which can even influence the NBA teams’ front office and decision-makers. It can be argued that he was facing these same biases at the beginning of his career, but a severe stroke of luck allowed him to get enough court time to demonstrate his skills. Racial issues that Lin dealt with throughout his career can be found on his Wikipedia page.
The CBA, G-League, and the P. League+
Furthering the point mentioned above, while Lin played in the CBA and the NBA G-League, he showed that he was still an athlete that was able to compete at a high level. In the CBA, he averaged 17.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists. In the G-League, he averaged 19.8 points and 6.4 assists. These stats show a player that is worthy of being on NBA team, but it never came to fruition unfortunately.
In September 2023, Lin signed a deal with the New Taipei Kings of the P. League after playing with the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers (a team in which he recorded a 50-point trible-double).
Conclusion
Jeremy Lin truly is a one-of-a-kind athlete that not only broke records because of his heritage, but also because of his raw and pure talent as a basketball player. The argument about whether or not he should be in the league is subjective and has valid points on both sides, but there is no denying that he was a spectacle during his time in the league and that anyone would love to see him back on the big stage.