Jeremy Lin couldn’t find an NBA team this offseason.
The former Knicks guard signed with the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association, the team announced on Tuesday morning. It has been a frustrating offseason for Lin, who broke down recently when discussing the lack of interest from NBA teams.
“Every year it gets harder,” Lin said at the time.
“In English there’s a saying, it says once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up but rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me. “Lin said during a tear-filled speech in Taiwan for GOOD TV, a Christian outlet, in July.
“And so free agency has been tough because I feel like the NBA has kind of given up on me. And I always knew that if I gave anybody a reason to doubt that they would.”
Lin, who turned 31 on Friday, authored one of the more memorable runs in recent Knicks history, when Linsanity took over the city in February and March of 2012 when he carried the team back into the playoff race. Lin has been unable to match the incredible expectations he set for himself in those two months, but has carved out a role as a serviceable bench player when he’s been healthy.
Lin came back to New York in 2016 when he signed a three-year, $36 million with the Nets, but injuries marred his time in Brooklyn. Lin was traded to the Hawks then signed with the Raptors in February of last year and was a part of the roster for a championship-winning team.
Now Lin, whose parents emigrated from Taiwan, will try and revitalize his career on the same Chinese team with which Stephon Marbury thrived.
“Jeremy joining the Beijing Ducks men’s basketball shows his confidence in us and is an honour, we sincerely welcome him,” said Ducks club chairman Qin Xiaowen in a statement.
The CBA season ends in March and often times players will sign with an NBA team for the stretch run after returning to the States.
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