Jeremy Lin, the veteran point guard who burst onto the scene with his "Linsanity" era, has officially retired from the NBA.
Lin, 37, made the announcement on social media Saturday evening. He hadn't played in the NBA since 2019, but spent the past six seasons playing basketball overseas, spending time in both China and Taiwan.
Jeremy Lin retires: “Its been the honor of a lifetime to compete vs the fiercest competitors under the brightest lights…to challenge what the world thought was possible for someone who looks like me.…I’ll forever be the kid who felt fully alive everytime I touched a basketball” pic.twitter.com/Nf2CcBtbIS
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) August 31, 2025
Lin's retirement brings to a close an unforgettable era in basketball that saw a once under recruited kid from the Bay Area become a huge cultural phenomenon in the sport. While he never made a single All-Star game, Lin retires as one of the more memorable players in recent memory.
Here's a look back at Lin's remarkable career.
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Revisiting Linsanity
During the 2011-12 season, Lin was in his second year and on the Knicks roster as a depth player after he spent his rookie season with the Warriors. He was largely a benchwarmer until February 4, 2012, when he asked to play significant minutes as a spark for a struggling Knicks team dealing with injuries.
What happened next became the stuff of legends. Lin scored 25 points in 35 minutes against the Nets, leading New York to a victory. He then got his first start against the Jazz in the Knicks' next game, scoring 28 points in a win, and he followed that up with his first double-double in another victory.
Lin really broke out, though, against the Lakers, as he scored a season-high 38 points vs. Los Angeles in Madison Square Garden. The performance, which was televised on ESPN, proved to be the highlight of Linsanity.
In total, Lin scored at least 20 points nine times in 10 games, jumpstarting the Knicks season as New York went 8-2 in that span. This also included a game-winning three-pointer against the Raptors in Toronto.
Lin only played in 35 games that year, starting 25 times, as an injury cut his season short. He would then sign with the Rockets in the offseason, as his time in New York was bright but brief.
Jeremy Lin career earnings
According to Spotrac, Lin earned $65.75 million over his 10-year career, which occurred with eight different teams.
Lin signed two big deals in his career, a three-year, $25 million with the Rockets in 2012 and a three-year, $38 million with the Nets in 2016. He also signed a few other lower-lever contracts, including a $4 million contract with the Hornets in between.
Jeremy Lin career stats
Between 2010 and 2019, Lin played in 480 games for eight different teams. Here's a look at his career stats in that span:
- PPG: 11.6
- RPG: 2.8
- APG: 4.3
- SPG: 1.1
- FG%: 43.3%
- 3P%: 34.2%
- FT%: 80.9%