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Jeremy Lin celebrates NBA retirement in perfect way after heartfelt goodbye

Linsanity forever, and it's only fitting the Bay Area native celebrated the bittersweet moment by going home.
Matthew Graham|
Mar 18, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Jeremy Lin (17) shoots against the New York Knicks in the second half at Scotiabank Arena.
Mar 18, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Jeremy Lin (17) shoots against the New York Knicks in the second half at Scotiabank Arena. | Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

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I was lucky to live in New York City when Linsanity hit the Big Apple like a lightning bolt.

It was literally a once in a lifetime experience that brought New York Knicks fans, and heck, pretty much anyone who lived in Manhattan in the cold winter of February 2012, together like the team had won the NBA Finals that year.

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Jeremy Lin
February 24, 2012; Orlando FL, USA; Team Shaq guard Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks (17) during second half of the BBVA rising stars challenge at the Amway Center in Orlando. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

Now 37, most of us had no idea Jeremy Lin was still pursuing a professional basketball career, but apparently he was, having most recently played for the New Taipei Kings, but most famously for the Knicks. Actually the Palo Alto, California native broke into the league with the Golden State Warriors in 2010 after signing as an undrafted free agent out of Harvard.

Lin played for the Warriors, Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, and finally for the Toronto Raptors in 2019 before playing internationally.

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In a heartfelt post, Lin wrote in part, "It's been the honor of a lifetime to compete vs the fiercest competitors under the brightest lights…to challenge what the world thought was possible for someone who looks like me.…I’ll forever be the kid who felt fully alive everytime I touched a basketball."

To celebrate his retirement, Lin, who almost averaged 21 points in that Linsanity month, with the Knicks going 10-4 during that span, attending the Golden State Valkyries to watch the home team destroy the visiting Washington Mystics, 99-62.

It was a a perfect full-circle moment for a player that brought so much joy to anyone who was lucky enough to witness Linsanity, not to mention being an inspiration for so many kids, and adults, who look just like him.

Linsanity forever.

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Matthew Graham
MATTHEW GRAHAM

Matthew Graham has over 20 years of media experience and oversees The Athlete Lifestyle On SI. He has had previous leadership roles at NBC Sports, Yahoo, and USA TODAY, where he co-founded For The Win (named Best Mobile Site by Digiday). He has also written for ESPN, Cosmopolitan, US Weekly, People, E! Online, and FHM, covering major sports and entertainment events like the Oscars, the Golden Globes, NBA Finals, Super Bowl, and winning the Yahoo Superstar Award for coverage of the Olympics.

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