Standing in the NBA is like a dream come true for basketball players all over the world. However, what they have to face in the highest hall is not paradise, but a cruel jungle. The average NBA elimination rate per season is as high as 30%, and the average age and seniority are only about 26 years and 4.8 seasons. This shows how fierce competition in the NBA is. Many players end their NBA careers after completing their rookie contracts. There are young players who fight for tickets every year, and there are also senior players who seek to make a comeback. As soon as their abilities, injuries, and mental conditions are in trouble, they are very likely to be eliminated and can only go to other leagues. Or the country continues its basketball career.
Table of Contents
Linsanity
At this time 12 years ago, Jeremy Lin, who was only 23 years old, suddenly seized the opportunity in front of him and created the miraculous Linsanity. He was listed as one of the top 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.
Twelve years have passed. Jeremy Lin, who was still a nascent Tiger at the time, is already a senior player with NBA and CBA experience. However, what remains unchanged is that Jeremy Lin is still challenging and competing for playing opportunities. It’s just that at the age of 24, he relied on realizing his dream. The motivation to challenge the players who are stuck in front; and now the 34-year-old Jeremy Lin came to Taiwan, trying to prove once again that he is still a top basketball player.
Rockets-Nets period:Free climbing on the basketball court
After Jeremy Lin became valuable in the Knicks, he successively moved to the Rockets, Lakers, and Hornets. Although his performance was ups and downs, the Nets, which were rebuilding in 2016, signed a three-year contract with Jeremy Lin worth 36 million. They hoped that Jeremy Lin, who was at his peak, could become a basketball player. The core engine of the team. Although his season performance was not bad, Jeremy Lin was plagued by repeated injuries and only played in 36 games.
At that time, Jeremy Lin trained hard in the off-season and hired a dedicated fitness coach to strengthen his muscle endurance and strength, hoping to regain his momentum next season. In the 2017 season training camp and warm-up games, Jeremy Lin performed very well and had the momentum to make a comeback. In the opening game against the Pacers, Jeremy Lin scored 18 points and 4 assists in 25 minutes of play. He fell to the ground after a cutting collision and hugged him. He looked at the sidelines with his knees in fear, and then he collapsed and fell to the ground with his face covered. He knew clearly that this would be a career-breaking injury. In an instant, all the hard work and the most precious peak years of athletes were in vain, but Jeremy Lin could only Neng hammered the floor several times to express how unwilling he was, "I can understand his emotions and unwillingness. He has too many things to prove, to prove that Asians can also play, to prove that he is worthy of a long-term contract, to prove that he can Become a star, I believe he can do it, but it's a pity that fate has a way of making people, I was really sad to see him at the time..." said Kenny Atkinson, the head coach of the Nets at the time.
After Jeremy Lin injured his cruciate ligament in the opening game of 2017 and was out for the entire season, he did not feel depressed for long. He immediately decided to have surgery and immediately went to Fortius Sport & Health, the Canadian Sports Science Treatment Center where Steve Nash had been, to start rehabilitation. Post-injury rehabilitation is a very painful process. It’s like walking in a tunnel with no light source, repeating the same menu over and over again. “In the beginning, even squatting will hurt. It’s like learning to walk again, let alone running.” Jump and play ball."
When Jeremy Lin was touring Asia, he was most often asked how he dealt with successive injuries. His answer was simple, "Don't think about what you lost, think about what you still have." After the injury, Jeremy Lin relied most on his faith and family. , "Relying on faith, faith gives me strength and hope, and my family gives me comfort. I thought about giving up, but every time the thought of giving up appeared, after repeated struggles, the power of persistence became stronger."
Eagle-Tyrannosaurus period:There are cracks in everything, which are traces of light getting through.
However, the Nets traded Jeremy Lin to the Hawks not long after, which also disrupted the original plan to reshape his body and adjust his rhythm in Canada. Jeremy Lin directly joined the opening training of the season before having any actual training in 3-on-3 and 5-on-5. Camp, he has yet to regain his ball sense and physical condition. Jeremy Lin can hardly keep up with the rhythm. "This is the training camp where I struggled the most. I can't guard people and I can't pass people. My speed and confrontation with other players It’s not at the same level at all.” Jeremy Lin said, “It’s like I was forced into training, and I’m not fully prepared physically and mentally. But this is the cruelty of the profession. If you don’t try your best to keep up, you can only wait to be surpassed. .”
Jeremy Lin still couldn't find his form until the beginning of the season. He shot layups and three-pointers, and his shooting and three-point shooting percentages were only 30% and 20% respectively. Many fans ridiculed that his only value is in the Chinese market, otherwise Based on ability and performance alone, he should have been eliminated by the NBA long ago. The then-Hawks head coach Lloyd Pierce said that Jeremy Lin didn't think he should play. "He didn't want to be a burden to the team on the court, but I needed him to lead the young players."
In addition to not being able to feel the game, Jeremy Lin's wandering also stems from his distrust and fear of the body. "I'm not sure whether I can maintain my health. Every time I practice or play, I wonder if I will get injured. Almost They all went on the court with negative emotions." Vince Carter, who was also in the Hawks at the time, gave him a timely hand. "I want Lin to complete all the movements and trust his training. I have been encouraging him to put aside his fear."
"When no one is optimistic, you must believe in yourself first." Carter's words also reminded Jeremy Lin. After not playing basketball for almost a year and a half, he still needed some time and training to adapt to the intensity of NBA games, so Jeremy Lin hired assistant coaches and trainers to hold a personal extended training camp and invited other players to play some three-on-three practice games. Recovering the state bit by bit.
Jeremy Lin quickly regained his form. In November and December, his shooting and three-point shooting percentages increased to 50% and 40% respectively. He is the best defender on the team who is good at drawing fouls after cutting into collisions. In the game against the Wizards in December, he scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Hawks to a great comeback. He also scored 20 points on the spot to help the team almost defeat the powerful Raptors. "I am very confident in myself. In the extra minutes During practice, the familiarity of the feel and confrontation gradually returned to its original position.”
One of the purposes of the Hawks recruiting Jeremy Lin is to serve as a mentor to super rookie Trae Young. On the one hand, Jeremy Lin provides advice. Young and Jeremy Lin's careers are somewhat similar. Many people think that Young's physical fitness and playing style cannot adapt to the intensity of the NBA, just like Jeremy Lin. He faced the barriers of racial stereotypes and the evaluation of being looked down upon when he lost the draft. On the other hand, he was filled with emotion when he looked at Young's performance at a young age. "Looking at Trae's high-spirited look when he was with the Hawks, to be honest, I was a little melancholy. I "I thought that I was almost the number one player on the team in the Nets, but missed the peak period due to injury," Jeremy Lin said.
"My career is full of ups and downs. There have been moments like Lin Laiman's breakout, even a game-winner, and there have also been times where I missed my peak due to serious injuries. But who in the NBA is not like this? Derrick, Stephen, they have all gone through it too. , Everyone’s experience is different, at least I have been on it, and now I have the opportunity to challenge again.”
Josh Fan is Jeremy Lin’s close friend and personal trainer. He has accompanied Jeremy Lin through the ups and downs of his career. “The most indispensable thing in Jeremy’s life is adversity, race, injury and being underappreciated. He has faced this since he was a student. Yes, Shuhao is not the kind who will fall into a cycle of depression and stagnate when encountering difficulties. He will take action and actively try his best to overcome it." Fan said.
In 2019, after playing in the playoffs, although he helped the Raptors win the championship, Jeremy Lin did not have much joy because the message from his agent was not optimistic and almost no team was willing to give him a chance. Before preparing to fly to Asia for a six-week journey, Jeremy Lin broke down and cried three times. He cried until he couldn't control himself. But because of his faith, he never gave up. Even if the road ahead was dark and the next season might be even worse, he would never give up. Will still stick to it.
CBA-P League+ period:Challenge a better version of yourself
Seeing that there was no chance for the NBA, Jeremy Lin joined Beijing Shougang of the Chinese CBA League in 2019 and became the team's main foreign aid. Playing in China, he has media spotlight and topics, the importance of the team and coach, and unlimited firing rights on the court. The execution opportunity determines the victory or defeat, and even scored 41 points in the All-Star Game. On the contrary, even if he returns to the United States and enters the NBA, he will be at the end of the bench. It is very likely that he can only play when the victory or defeat is determined, most likely from the Development League. First of all, regardless of the attention, the difference in salary alone is more than 100 times. At the same age of 32, most basketball players with similar circumstances to Jeremy Lin have bowed to reality and put financial benefits before pursuing their dreams.
Jeremy Lin decided to return to the United States and compete in the NBA again. Even judging from media reports, this is a very difficult decision. Jeremy Lin said that because of his poor performance during the Raptors period, no one was interested. Even if his performance in the CBA was not bad, he did not attract the attention of any NBA team. After announcing his return to the United States, no team inquired. Even Jeremy Lin took the initiative to seek an unguaranteed training camp contract but did not get a chance. Even the famous Tony Allen did not understand why no team was willing to give him a chance. "Lin is definitely An NBA-level player, his pick-and-roll execution is very powerful and he can definitely average 10-15 minutes of playing time per game."
When Jeremy Lin was not favored by NBA teams and it was rumored that he might return to Beijing Shougang, many Internet trolls took the opportunity to attack him, using all possible means to criticize his beliefs, love for money, and even personal attacks.
However, Jeremy Lin was unmoved. During this period, he found well-known trainer Jordan Lawley to assist in training, and played with former Warriors teammates such as Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to maintain his condition.
For Jeremy Lin, the reason why he is still unable to give up on the NBA is that his belief does not allow him to stay in his comfort zone. Jeremy Lin has always emphasized that he is a player with a "risk-taking" orientation. This is also reflected in his high turnover rate. In terms of efficiency, this kind of character allows him to dare to keep trying and making mistakes, including leaving the CBA where he has gained both fame and fortune, and challenging himself to return to the NBA, even if the best result may be to return to the end of Gu Kaiteli's bench.
In the end, Jeremy Lin did not change his decision to return to the United States, even if he could only join the hard-working Development League. "I decided not to return to Shougang this year to play. This is the most difficult decision in my life. I spent four weeks thinking about it. I toss and turn every night, getting up at four or five in the morning, thinking, thinking, thinking. Although Shougang is very good to me, and my teammates and coaches give me everything I want, I still have some problems. An NBA dream, I still have time, I have to chase it."
In 2021, Jeremy Lin signed a contract with the Warriors, returning to the starting point of his NBA career and starting from his Development League team, the Santa Cruz Warriors. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also praised Jeremy Lin for his willingness to put aside his pride for his favorite basketball, and admired his decision. "Lin is the toughest player I have ever seen in my career. His perseverance and persistence are rare." Danny Green, who was a teammate with Jeremy Lin in the Development League, said in his podcast, "Many players have a taste of other leagues. If the salary is too low, there is no way to return to the Development League and wait for opportunities. After all, dreams cannot be eaten, and professional players will give priority to pursuing better treatment."
From the perspective of financial needs, Jeremy Lin is indeed luckier than other players. He once signed a multi-million contract with the Nets, plus many endorsement opportunities. He is also the only Chinese-American and non-NBA player to have personal shoes, and he still has them today. With a certain amount of media attention, Jeremy Lin at least still has some capital to pursue his dream. "I am luckier than many players. I have had things that many players have not." Jeremy Lin said, "I consider myself an NBA-level player, but this I'm not doing it for money or fame, I'm just trying to do different things and I want to bring glory to God through basketball."
Jeremy Lin knows that injuries and age will inevitably affect his physical condition and even limit some of the movements and collisions he was good at in the past. However, Jeremy Lin does not want to be the 24-year-old Linsanity again and create another earth-shattering miracle, but is motivated from the heart Self-motivation, chasing the best version of myself, "Since my body already has limitations, how can I become the best version of myself? This is what I often think about."
"His dream is to become the top basketball player he thinks he can be, and this must be realized in the NBA." Fan said, "He knows that he has messed up before. When he was young, he often overshot and made mistakes. When he was with the Raptors, he made mistakes. Stopping the iron and losing the coach's trust, but this is basketball. If you have missed it, you can only work harder to prove yourself and fight for another opportunity."
In 2023, Jeremy Lin, who is already 34 years old, decided to return to his parents' hometown of Taiwan and join the young professional league P League + and the original bottom team Steelers. After 12 years, Lin Laimang, whom Taiwanese fans are crazy about, is still crazy in Taiwan. His enthusiasm has not diminished, and he has also led the Steelers, who are full of young players, to turn around step by step. He has brought very positive power on and off the court, including on April 23, 2023, against the New Taipei Kings, which has the league's first record. Although Jeremy Lin was single He scored 50 points in the game, but committed a foul in the last 4 minutes. Before leaving the field, he encouraged the young players who stayed on the field. As the Steelers secured victory, Jeremy Lin, who tied the scoring record, continued to praise the progress of the young players.
Now Jeremy Lin's attitude towards basketball has changed. "When I look back on the past, I will not rush to chase the next goal or become Jeremy Lin 2.0, but I will not stop and move forward firmly and solidly." He is accepting When interviewed by the magazine, he said, "I have been chasing goals and eager to meet everyone's expectations, but now I just want to find the fun of basketball first and make my own basketball mark."
