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| Jeremy Lin didn't quit the NBA, the NBA quit him. He signed with the Beijing Ducks yesterday. |
ASAM NEWS
It’s official. Jeremy Lin has signed to play basketball overseas with the Beijing Ducks, reports ESPN.
The deal ends for now, his nine year career in the NBA.
The Ducks made the announcement today (Aug. 27), saying it was in the process of finalizing all the paperwork. No word yet on how much Lin will make although earlier rumors had him agreeing to a $3-million contract.
Last season he played for three different teams and earned $13.8 million, according to Spotrac. That’s just slightly less than the $14.9 million contract he signed with the Lakers in 2014-2015-his best year salary wise.
Back in July, the Harvard grad hinted that he would be leaving the NBA when he declared “the NBA has kind of given up on me.”
Lin has a supersized following on social media and is considered a rock star in China. “Beijing, I’m coming,” he declared on the Chinese social media app Douyin.
Today, he posted a picture of himself in wearing his new jersey alongside his brother, who signed with the Fubon Braves, who play in the same league. Jeremy Lin, although born and raised in California, speaks fluent Mandarin.
Lin last season became the first Asian American player to win an NBA Championship with the Toronto Raptors. Although he got little playing time in the playoffs, he averaged 7 points per game during the regular season for the Raptors. Over his nine seasons, he averaged 11.6 points per game and 4.3 assists.
In late July, during a @&A with fans in Taiwan, he became emotional while discussing his then-ongoing free agency: “I feel in some ways like the NBA has given up on me.”
He’s joining a team that has won three league titles in the Chinese Basketball Association and is considered a powerhouse. Former NBA star Stephon Marbury led the team to league championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015. Marbury, who retired at the end of the 2017-18 season, is now the head coach of the Ducks' rival team -- the Beijing Royal Fighters.
"I always knew my path would go through the CBA, solely because I knew how much of an honor it would be to hoop in front of all my Chinese fans," Lin said in his Instagram post. "I'm here now and there is more history to be made!.'
The deal ends for now, his nine year career in the NBA.
The Ducks made the announcement today (Aug. 27), saying it was in the process of finalizing all the paperwork. No word yet on how much Lin will make although earlier rumors had him agreeing to a $3-million contract.
Last season he played for three different teams and earned $13.8 million, according to Spotrac. That’s just slightly less than the $14.9 million contract he signed with the Lakers in 2014-2015-his best year salary wise.
Back in July, the Harvard grad hinted that he would be leaving the NBA when he declared “the NBA has kind of given up on me.”
Lin has a supersized following on social media and is considered a rock star in China. “Beijing, I’m coming,” he declared on the Chinese social media app Douyin.
Today, he posted a picture of himself in wearing his new jersey alongside his brother, who signed with the Fubon Braves, who play in the same league. Jeremy Lin, although born and raised in California, speaks fluent Mandarin.
In late July, during a @&A with fans in Taiwan, he became emotional while discussing his then-ongoing free agency: “I feel in some ways like the NBA has given up on me.”
He’s joining a team that has won three league titles in the Chinese Basketball Association and is considered a powerhouse. Former NBA star Stephon Marbury led the team to league championships in 2012, 2014 and 2015. Marbury, who retired at the end of the 2017-18 season, is now the head coach of the Ducks' rival team -- the Beijing Royal Fighters.
"I always knew my path would go through the CBA, solely because I knew how much of an honor it would be to hoop in front of all my Chinese fans," Lin said in his Instagram post. "I'm here now and there is more history to be made!.'
With Lin's departure from the NBA, Filipino American Jordan Clarkson of the Cleveland Cavaliers becomes the only Asian American player in the pros. At one time when both Lin and Clarkson played for the Los Angeles Lakers, the tandem formed the first all-Asian American starting backcourt.
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