Veteran guard Jeremy Lin is having a tough time. After winning the NBA title as a member of the Toronto Raptors last season, Lin, an unrestricted free agent, is having trouble finding a new team interested in his services, and as a result, he feels as though the league has kind of abandoned him.
"I've given more of myself to God every single year and every year it gets harder. In English, there's a saying, and it says, 'once you've hit rock bottom, the only way is up,'" Lin said at an event in Taiwan. "Rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me. So free agency has been tough, because I feel like in some ways the NBA's kind of given up on me. I always knew that if I gave anyone a reason to doubt, they would."
Over the course of his career, Lin has suited up for eight different NBA teams: the Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, and Toronto Raptors.
Lin has clearly had no shortage of opportunity across the league's landscape, but he has been unable to establish a long-term home at any of his stops. He has previously considered playing professionally in Asia, and that option remains on the table for Lin, as his dream is to play on the same team as his brother, Joseph, who plays for the Fubon Braves of the Super Basketball League in Taiwan.
"About five years ago, I began to consider whether I should play basketball in Asia because every year when I visit the region, I see so many fans, and they make me want to play a few seasons in the region," Lin said, via the Taiwan News. "... And of course, my greatest dream is to play on the same team with my younger brother."
Perhaps another team will give Lin a look as training camps draw closer, but if not, and his days in the NBA are numbered, he will leave behind an important legacy as he was the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, and his path to the league could open doors for others in the future.
