Jeremy Lin chasing dying NBA dream while spurning fame, fortune and a prolonged career in China

Lin’s one last ‘crazy’ shot at the NBA likely to backfire as G League is not the place for him
The Taiwanese-American could go the route of Stephon Marbury and turn his fame in China into a golden ticket

Patrick Blennerhassett

Published: 8:00am, 22 Jan 2021

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Although they are a shell of their former dynastic self, the Golden State Warriors can still put on a show. The Klay Thompson-less squad, led by Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, staged a stunning comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA on Tuesday night.

The Lakers, defending champions, who boast the best record in the league, went up and then seemingly forgot Curry is still one of the most deadliest three-point shooters and pick-and-roll players.

Problem is the Warriors will be hard-pressed to even make the play-offs in the dogfight that has become the Western Conference. Their dynasty days, in which they won three rings in four years starting in 2014-15, are long gone. The league is trending younger, bigger and meaner while Kevin Durant floated off east to join the Brooklyn Nets.

The Warriors can no longer compete with superstar-studded teams like the Lakers and the Nets, who look formidable if they can sort out their soap opera roster. Thus, Curry and Green are surrounded by young players like 25-year-old former first overall pick Andrew Wiggins, who came over in a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and 24-year-old Eric Paschall, a highly touted power forward.

Should Jeremy Lin head back to China? Photo: Xinhua

The Warriors also have 20-year-old point guard Nico Mannion waiting in the wings. The Italian-American is on a two-way contract with the Warriors’ G League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Which brings us to the curious case of a now 32-year-old Jeremy Lin, Mannion’s new teammate.

The Taiwanese-American, who swept to fame via his ‘Linsanity’ days with the New York Knicks in the 2011-12 season, spent last season in the Chinese Basketball Association where he put up more than impressive numbers for the Beijing Ducks. Lin was showered with money and fame in China, and then turned it all down for one last “crazy” shot at an NBA comeback.

‘People think I’m crazy’ – Jeremy Lin on swapping China cash for NBA dream

Crazy it is, but not a good crazy kind of decision. Unless the Warriors get hit by a string of injuries and go into full blown rebuild mode, an eventual likelihood anyway, Lin most likely won’t see any floor time in the NBA, or even a substantial amount of bench time with the San Francisco-based squad.

The Warriors are more likely to give any added floor time at his position to Mannion, who could blossom into a full blown starter.

NBA rules permit players in the G League on specific contracts to be called up by any team, meaning Lin could have a shot with all 30 squads in theory. But the G League is primarily where youthful diamonds in the rough get sent, low draft picks, or players who need a season or two of cultivation.

Let us not forget the last time Lin saw hardwood was a matter of seconds during the 2019 NBA Finals when he finally got off the bench for the Toronto Raptors. Lin grabbed himself a ring, becoming the first Asian-American to win a title, then failed to find a team to sign him.

Jeremy Lin on a bench somewhere in the NBA is not really what basketball fans want, especially Chinese ones. Photo: Reuters

Lin has dealt with buckets of adversity throughout his career, some of it racially charged, and still managed to etch out an impressive resume, spanning nearly a decade over eight teams. Lin is a shining example of overcoming odds and obstacles to reach your dream, as scouts reportedly overlooked him because of his skin colour.

Professional sports is a cruel game, though. Unless you’re putting up numbers, or bringing something to the table, there is little room for sentimentality, or trips down memory lane. Yes, Lin got his start with the Warriors in 2010, but the NBA has long moved on from ‘Linsanity’ and him signing back with the Santa Cruz squad didn’t necessarily stop the basketball world.

Lin’s decision to leave China was more than likely a complex one. China is such a different landscape to North America, but one where Lin appeared comfortable.

Stephon Marbury is a perfect example of what a former NBA star can achieve overseas. Marbury, an NBA All-Star, probably saw the writing on the wall in 2009 when the Boston Celtics offered him a one-year contract at the veteran’s minimum.

Fast forward to today and Marbury is now the head coach of the Beijing Royal Fighters, the culmination of a career revival in China for the 43-year-old Brooklyn native. Extravagant endorsement deals and millions of Chinese fans after petering out of the NBA, Marbury made a sound life and business decision.

Lin’s valiant attempt to return to the NBA should be commended. If anyone can overcome the odds, it is the Palo Alto native. But you cannot turn back time, and grasping at the past can be detrimental to seizing opportunities in the present.

Lin faces another season on the bench, or in the minors, chasing a dying dream. On the other side of the world there is fame, fortune and new life as a basketball god.