Former Knicks, Nets guard Jeremy Lin announces retirement

The man who captivated basketball fans in New York City and across the country with his “Linsanity” run has officially called it a career.

Jeremy Lin, who played nine seasons in the NBA, including an unforgettable 2011-12 run with the Knicks, announced on Instagram that he has retired from professional basketball.

“As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away,” Lin wrote. “I’ve spent my 15 year career knowing that one day I would have to walk away, and yet actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made.”

Lin played for eight teams, including the Nets, in his nine NBA seasons, and also played professionally in China. He last played in the NBA in 2018-19, when he had a 23-game stint with the Toronto Raptors.

But Lin will always be remembered most for his Linsanity run with the Knicks, when he seemingly came out of nowhere to average 26.8 points per game over a six-game stretch, highlighted by a 38-point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers in a game in which the Knicks were without Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony missed seven games for the Knicks in February, but thanks in part to Lin, the Knicks went 6-1 during that stretch. Lin averaged 14.6 points per game with the Knicks in 2011-12, and signed a free-agent deal with the Houston Rockets the following offseason.

Lin, now 37, had career averages of 11.6 points and 4.3 assists, shooting 34.2 percent from beyond the arc.

“This is a ride I never wanted to end but I know it’s time,” Lin wrote. “I will forever miss playing basketball in front of you all but our time will go beyond just playing. Here’s to what’s ahead.”