TAIPEI, Taiwan (AFP) – Basketball star Jeremy Lin broke down in tears during an emotional appearance in Taiwan when he described hitting “rock bottom” and feeling abandoned by the NBA as he languishes as a free agent.
Lin – the first Asian-American to win an NBA title – was part of the Toronto Raptors team that won the championship last season but he was often benched during the play-offs as he struggled with his form.
The man behind the ‘Linsanity’ hysteria of 2012 became an unrestricted free agent this summer and is still without a team as the new season approaches.
Lin wept as he recounted his recent career trajectory while on stage at a church in Taiwan, from where his parents immigrated to the United States.
“Free agency has been tough because I feel like in some ways the NBA has kind of given up on me,” he told the crowd in a heartfelt interview.
He said he had waited years to play for the Raptors but felt his time with the team was his “worst shooting of his entire career”.
Lin averaged only 3.4 minutes in the play-offs and one minute on the court during the championship finals.
Free agency was “the last straw that broke the camel’s back”, he said, after which he hung his head and cried.
“Every year it gets harder,” Lin added after he managed to compose himself.
“In English there’s a saying, it says once you hit rock bottom, the only way is up but rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me.”
Lin, a devout Christian, was speaking at a New Taipei City Sunday church event which was also broadcast on the religious channel Good TV.
