Former NBA star Jeremy Lin wants ‘meaningful basketball’ as he looks to boost ‘underdog’ Taiwan team
- Lin insists that he can help last-placed Kaohsiung 17Live Steelers ‘a lot’ with debut in Taiwanese P. League+ set for Sunday
- The 34-year-old says he wants to ‘focus on the next generation’ after stint playing in Chinese Basketball Association ends
Former NBA star Jeremy Lin said he was excited to lift the fortunes of his new “underdog” team in Taiwan, after the league’s last-placed Kaohsiung 17Live Steelers officially unveiled him on Wednesday.
More than a decade after his seven-game NBA winning streak – dubbed “Linsanity” – shot him to global prominence, the 34-year-old will make his debut in the six-team Taiwanese P. League+ on February 12.
Lin, born in the United States to Taiwanese immigrant parents, became the first Asian-American to capture an NBA title when the Toronto Raptors won the championship in 2019.
He joined the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) in 2019, most recently with the Guangzhou Loong Lions.
After a CBA stint defined by Covid-19, including a 10,000 yuan (US$1,400) fine in December for reportedly criticising China’s quarantine facilities, Lin said he was looking forward to his new role.
“When I made the decision to join the Steelers, my first thought was I wanted to fast forward to my first game, to be back in an environment with audiences,” he said in fluent Mandarin.
