After a year in China, Jeremy Lin intends to make sure to find a team in the NBA next year. He explains that playing in the big league was his goal from a young age.
When I was little, I was known to be arrogant, daring and brash. I remember when I was maybe 11 or 12 years old and I said to my mother: ‘I will go to the NBA one day’. I always had this reckless side in me. When I started my NBA career, I remember in 2012 that I was able to step on the scene for the New York Knicks. I had an incredible run and had the opportunity to write history a bit. This period was named Linsanity and at that time I was literally the most popular person on the planet. Everything was going in my direction, I was so successful. I played without thinking and it allowed me to go beyond what I had always dreamed of. ” Jeremy Lin
The story is so much of a fairy tale. Except that’s the problem with this kind of story: it doesn’t last forever. After New York, he was able to sign an interesting contract with the Rockets, before being transferred to the Lakers two years later.
In the years that followed, I was able to experience what it was like to have less good moves and failures. (with the Rockets, editor’s note). It got to the point where I was ashamed to walk down the street. I didn’t want to leave my house, I didn’t want to go on social media, I didn’t want to go on ESPN. I was ashamed that I worked so hard to be successful, but started to lose. I lost my starting place, I lost sponsors, I lost popularity. A lot of the fans who supported me didn’t do it anymore. In those moments I kept telling myself that I had to keep working, that things would get better. I told myself that every time I take a hit, I will get up. I been through a lot, then I got transferred towards the Lakers, note). I discovered a new team and it was a new experience. I’ve never stopped telling myself, ‘Be patient, because you’ve worked so hard that the minute you get a chance, you’ll be able to show everyone what you’re worth again. ” Jeremy Lin
The roller coaster, the lack of consistency, the changes of teams, the uncertain confidence of the coaches, all of these inevitably put the brakes on Lin’s career, but certainly not as much as the injuries. After a season in Charlotte, then an unfinished experiment in Brooklyn, he ended up arriving on the Atlanta side.
I remember starting my season (with the Nets, editor’s note) telling myself that everything I had around me was everything I had ever dreamed of. But in my first season with them I had three consecutive tendon injuries, I missed 60 games (actually he missed 46 games, editor’s note) and once again I was devastated. But I told myself that I was going to do everything to rehabilitate myself properly. I worked so hard to get back on my feet that the following season I thought it was going to be the right one. First game of the season, I go to the lay-up, I land badly on my knee and my patellar tendon is completely torn. I’ve missed every other game this season and it’s hard to explain why I went through it all for six years after Linsanity. There, despite a new disappointment, I continued to tell myself: ‘You know what, I’m going to recover, I’m going to do my rehabilitation, I’m going to get my body in shape and improve my game to come back even stronger’. Except that in the summer I was transferred (in Atlanta, editor’s note) and at the end of the season I wasn’t even able to be part of the rotation anymore. I chained the DNP and once again I told myself that it was necessary to start again. It was my first year of recovery after all these injuries and I had to keep working to improve again and again. ” Jeremy Lin
Eventually cut off by the Hawks, Lin was picked up during last season by the Raptors. There, despite an NBA title for Canada, no team offered him a contract the following summer, a situation that forced Lin to accept an offer from China.
I was crying, I was crying just talking about this pain of seeing my NBA dream fly away. Everything gave me the impression that this climb, this adventure, this path were so difficult that every time I managed to calm the storm, the boat was rocked again. ” Jeremy Lin
What an incredible adventure for the playmaker, but also what bad luck. With all the work he has put in place, let’s hope he finds a team for the next season, he who at 32 still has good years ahead of him. To find out where he ranks in the top 6 best all-time moments in Knicks history by the 6th man, it’s this way.
Via SCMP
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