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Jeremy Lin in action for the Beijing Ducks against the Fujian Sturgeons in the Chinese Basketball Association play-offs. Photo: Xinhua
Opinion
Jonathan White
Jonathan White

CBA: Jeremy Lin has answered critics in China, championship or not

  • NBA winner with Toronto Raptors could make history by winning with Beijing Ducks, but he has already proven himself
  • Lin-led Ducks face Chinese champions Guangdong Southern Tigers in team’s first semi-final since winning title in 2015
Jonathan White
Jonathan White
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What a difference a year makes.

It’s been 12 months since NBA free agent Jeremy Lin told the world he was at “rock bottom” and now, after taking the Beijing Ducks to the semi-finals of the Chinese Basketball Association play-offs, he is on the verge of being back on top.

There are those who will argue that moving to the CBA was the easy option and that he ran away from the challenge of the NBA, but with no teams offering him a way out what option was there?

Lin, who top-scored in the quarter-final win, has taken the Beijing Ducks to their first CBA semi-final since 2015, the first step on mirroring what Stephon Marbury managedin delivering the championship.

Sure, they face the unenviable task of beating regular season champions Guangdong Southern Tigers – last year’s CBA winners are also on a 30-game winning streak – but they would have surely had to face them at some point.

In Beijing, Lin has been given what he so rarely was in the NBA – the chance not only to start but to run the team. Another ring, to add to the NBA one he won with the Toronto Raptors last summer, would be vindication for moving to China.

Lin’s journey has not always been easy, as has been well documented.

“After I went through Linsanity,” Lin told The Undefeated’s Cary Chow last summer, “I learned the world wasn’t quite ready.”

China has not necessarily been ready, either.

Commentators such as Yang Yi have pointed out he does not score like other CBA foreigners and there has been criticism for this supposed low output on social media.

Foreigners such as Erick McCollum have set the bar. His 2015 record of 82 points in a game still stands. Jimmer Fredette and Quincy Douby both have 75 and former Indiana Pacer Joe Young scored 74 earlier this month.

By contrast, Lin’s CBA career-best is 38 points – a number which matches his NBA career game high – scored in the Beijing derby win that secured a play-offs bye.

Others have pointed out that Yang’s criticism is groundless as Lin organises the team, rather than playing for himself.

Still, he is the team’s top scorer and has averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals per game in the regular season. Bear in mind his NBA record over nine years was 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.1 steals.

Lin has done all of this while being a marked man. The first weeks saw him bloodied and bruised, and so it continued. Even the all-conquering Guangdong targeted Lin in their recent win, with coach Du Feng admitting as much.

Regardless, Lin has thrived He was named player of the week in the regular season’s final week, having guided the Ducks to 11 straight wins. He was nominated for CBA Best Defensive Player for the season.

The Beijing fans have taken to him, as have his teammates if Chinese social media is any indication. He dominated votes for the CBA All-Star Game and then top-scored in it.
This year has not been easy. There was the death of his friend Godfrey Gao, the coronavirus pandemic where Lin found himself in the US battling the president on racism, and Black Lives Matter.
Still, Lin has found the time to champion causes and raise more than US$1 million yuan for charities. That is aside from the money he has put up for every three-pointer. At 3,000 yuan (US$430) per three, he raised 156,000 yuan in the regular season. He has raised the bonus to 21,000 yuan for every three in the play-offs.

After winning an NBA ring last year, he could end this season with another, making history in the process.

Others have won both, but never so quickly. Sun Yue, who is now coached by former teammate Marbury across town at the Beijing Royal Fighters, won two CBA titles with the Ducks and was part of the LA Lakers team that won the 2009 NBA championship.
Mengke Bateer, the Mongolian powerhouse, was Sun’s teammate in the Ducks’ 2014 CBA win and was a winner of the NBA in 2003 with the San Antonio Spurs.

Lin going back-to-back – or even having to wait until next season – would eclipse both players’ achievements, while his NBA career already does.

“I’ve always known that my journey in some ways would end in China,” the Toronto Raptors guard told website Radii on a visit to Shanghai last year ahead of signing for the Ducks.

Ongoing speculation surrounding a return to the NBA means the journey does not necessarily have to end in China but that is his choice. Would an NBA team change the way they play him?

Lin no longer needs to answer those who still question his talent. Even without a CBA ring this season, he can wave them away like he waved off Kobe.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: CBA champ or not, Lin has answered his critics in China
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