QINGDAO, CHINA – JULY 24: Jeremy Lin # 7 of Beijing Ducks moves during 2019/2020 Chinese … [+]
VCG through Getty Images
Nine years ago on Sunday, Jeremy Lin wrote one of the highlights of the “Linsanity” Era.
With the Knicks and Raptors tied at 87 in the final seconds at the Air Canada Center, Lin slowly pulled for a three-dead mark from the top of the ring.
“Lin is putting it up …. BANG,” Mike Breen shouted as the ball flew through the net. “Jeremy Lin from the city center and the Knicks will lead.”
Lin finished with 27 points and 11 assists in the Knicks ’90-87 win.
Lin’s time with the Knicks came to an end after that magical 2011-12 season and he has kicked around the NBA and G League ever since. The Harvard result now averages 18.0 points and 7.0 assists through three games with the Santa Cruz Warriors, a G League affiliate of Golden State.
On Saturday, nearly nine years to the day of his achievements north of the border, Lin was once again involved in the Knicks franchise.
The Bay Area native went for 29 points and won on a seven-game seven-pointer with nine fans as the Santa Cruz Warriors beat Westchester Knicks 124-116 at ESPN’s Wide Sports Center at Center Walt Disney Universe.
Lin last played in the NBA in the 2018-19 season, winning an NBA title with the Raptors but averaging just 3.4 minutes in eight games played.
After that season came to an end, Lin landed in the Chinese Basketball Association after failing from any of the 30 teams in the league. He averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists in 39 games with the Beijing Ducks. He may have returned there this year but said he wanted to be closer to home during the pandemic as he looked to get back into the NBA.
“I think with Covid and everything that happened in 2020, at the moment it’s like nothing can be taken for granted,” he told ESPN. “Just being able to get on the court and play is an update. I am just grateful and for me one of my biggest goals is to come here and embrace and enjoy everything.
“And this is my 11th year playing professional basketball but it almost feels like my rookie year in terms of, I don’t know, there’s something different after Covid about her now every time you step on the floor. So I just want to embrace everything and embrace it as much as I can. And if I don’t, I don’t think it would be a successful G League bubble, no matter what the play and the performance, the results, if I can’t enjoy the gift I’m missing out on. -out of unique opportunity. ”