'No regrets' as Lin hints retirement

Jeremy Lin is dropping hints about retirement after failing to secure any offers to return to the NBA.

The 32-year-old point guard took to Instagram recently to post a lengthy review about playing in both China and the G League over the past year. He appeared in nine games for the Santa Cruz Warriors following his decision to leave the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in an attempt to make it back to the big stage.

"I didn't get it all done, but I have no regrets," Lin wrote. "I gave my all and hold my head high. As for what's next, I trust what God has in store for me. Thanks to everyone whose rolled with me on this journey. I love you all."

Lin, whose parents hail from Taiwan, is famous for "Linsanity", a sensational nine-game stretch with the New York Knicks in February 2012, when he came out of nowhere to average 25 points and 9.5 assists per game.

He parlayed that success into a four-year, $28.8 million free-agent deal with the Houston Rockets the following season, and in 2016 signed a three-year, $36 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets.

During the 2016-17 season he was plagued by a nagging hamstring issue. Then back tightness. Then an ankle injury. In the 2017-18 season opener, he tore a tendon in his right knee, which sidelined him for the rest of the campaign.

He moved on to Toronto, where he became the first Asian American to win an NBA title as a member of the Raptors' 2019 championship squad.

"I suffered two straight years of injury in Brooklyn. I came back after that and had a good first half of the season and showed I could play some," Lin wrote. "Then in Toronto, I didn't have a great 12 games and after that I haven't been able to get in a look in the NBA.

"After a year in the CBA where I overcame the mental barriers from my past, I knew I was still an NBA player. Teams all asked if I still had the hunger, health and skill to hang in the NBA. They wanted to see me hoop in person. So, I gave up another season overseas to go down to the G League－a move few vets dare to make. I've always known I need to jump through extra hoops to prove I belong, so this was par for the course.

"For reasons I'll never fully know, that chance never materialized," he wrote. "But I proved I'm better than ever and an NBA player. And like I said before … dream big dreams, risk heartache. I'm blessed. I've had an NBA career beyond my wildest dreams. I had the luxury of taking a year to chase a dream without worrying about paying bills."

Fiercely proud of his heritage, Lin has been extremely outspoken in recent months amid a sharp spike in hate crimes against members of the Asian community in North America. In February he revealed he had been called "Coronavirus" by an opponent during a G League game, which prompted the NBA to launch an investigation into the incident.

Near the end of his Instagram post, he included a message to others in the Asian American community, urging them to keep fighting.

"To the next generation of Asian American ballers－man I so wish I could have done more on the NBA court to break more barriers－especially now－but you guys got it next," he wrote.

"When you get your shot do NOT hesitate. Don't worry whether anyone else thinks you belong. The world never will. If there's any chance to doubt, they will. But when you get your foot in the door, KICK it down. And then bring others with you."