Beijing Ducks point guard Jeremy Lin said Tuesday he will be leaving the Chinese Basketball Association so he can attempt a comeback in the NBA during the 2020-21 season.
Lin made the announcement on Weibo (via Channel News Asia).
“This decision was truly the most difficult of my life,” he said. “Every morning I would wake up at 4 or 5 in the morning, thinking, thinking and thinking all the time. In the end, even though Shougang treated me incredibly well … giving me everything I wanted, in the end, I feel it I still have dreams NBA. I still have time to play and I have to chase this. “
Lin also thanked his fans for their support and provided details of an exciting reunion with his family to share his plans.
“I know a lot of my fans have been around me no matter if I was injured,” he said on Weibo. “Why was this decision so difficult? Yesterday, when I shared it with my family and friends, when I told them that I should leave China, I cried.”
The 32-year-old California native signed with the Ducks in August 2019. He averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 39 regular-season appearances. He shot 49.1% from the field, including 33.8% from three points.
Beijing was knocked out of the 2020 CBA playoffs by the Southern Guangdong Tigers in early August during the semi-final.
Lin was the rising star of the 2011-12 NBA season when he came out of nowhere to become a key contributor to the New York Knicks. The period became known as “Linsanity”.
After a season of putting up big numbers in China, Lin will return to the United States looking for another chance to shine in the NBA.