Former New York Knicks cult hero and NBA champion Jeremy Lin has announced his retirement at the age of 37.
Lin, a nine-year NBA veteran who became a fan favorite during his time in New York, revealed he is calling time on his 15-year professional career in an Instagram post on Saturday.
‘As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away,’ the Taiwaense-American guard wrote alongside a video containing highlights of his career.
‘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.
‘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.
Former New York Knicks hero Jeremy Lin has announced his retirement at the age of 37
‘So many people have sacrificed and poured into my journey, more than I could ever repay. Thank you all for believing in me, for walking with me, for celebrating my highs and picking me up in my lows. This is a ride I never wanted to end but I know it’s time. I will forever miss playing basketball in front of you all but our time will go beyond just playing. Here’s to what’s ahead. Love you all’.
Lin is most famous for his iconic 11-game stretch with the Knicks, dubbed ‘Linsanity’, in which he averaged 23.9 points and 9.2 assists while leading them to a 9-2 record in the 2011-12 season.
The California-born star, who played college basketball for Harvard, started his NBA career with Golden State in 2010 before making the move to New York in December 2011 after being waved by both Golden State and the Houston Rockets.
His astonishing run of form helped the Knicks achieve a 9-3 record. They were later beaten in the first round of the playoffs by eventual champion the Miami Heat, with Lin finishing sixth in voting for the NBA Most Improved Player Award.
He signed with the Rockets a year later but failed to build on his memorable ‘Linsanity’ run in Houston, before playing for another five teams over the course of his last seven NBA seasons.
During his final year with the Toronto Raptors, Lin got his hands on an NBA Championship ring despite playing sparingly for the team.
Before bringing the curtain down on his career he played in the Chinese Basketball Association and for the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors, before eventually going back to the CBA in 2021 and subsequently moving to Taiwan two years later.
This article was originally published by a www.dailymail.co.uk . Read the Original article here. .