Jeremy Lin opens up on free agency: 'Rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me'

Gilbert McGregor

Jeremy Lin opens up on free agency: 'Rock bottom just seems to keep getting more and more rock bottom for me' image

Nearly a month after the free agency period began, Jeremy Lin remains unsigned.

An emotional Lin, who signed with the Raptors in Feb. after a buyout agreement with the Hawks, recently spoke at an event in Taiwan, where he elaborated on the increasing difficulty of his NBA journey in recent years.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

#JeremyLin speaks candidly about how difficult free agency has been for him. • (🎥: GOOD TV)

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"I've given more of myself to God every single year," Lin said. "And every year it gets harder. In English, there's a saying and 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."

The 30-year-old closed by saying that "free agency has been tough, cause I feel like in some ways the NBA's kind of given up on me."

The past few years have been tumultuous for Lin, to say the least. After a career resurgence in the 2015-16 season with the Charlotte Hornets, Lin signed a multiyear deal to join the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent.

Injuries caused Lin to appear in just 37 games over two seasons with the Nets, as he suffered a season-ending injury on opening night in 2017.

Last offseason, Lin was traded to Atlanta, where he found his footing as a veteran presence in a young locker room and contributed as a double-figure scorer, averaging 10.7 points over 51 games. The buyout agreement allowed Lin to join a contender in Toronto, but he struggled to carve a role for himself as a reserve guard with the Raptors.

Lin appeared in 23 regular-season games with the Raptors, posting averages of 7.0 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists and saw action in just eight of a possible 24 postseason games as the Raptors would go on to win their first NBA title.

With the Raptors roster standing at 20 ahead of training camp, a return to Toronto seems unlikely for Lin.

The nine-year veteran could land with a team in need of a reserve guard this upcoming season; if not, he has also expressed that he would consider playing in Taiwan and per Sportando's Emiliano Carchia, is said to be a top target of Euroleague's CSKA Moscow.

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Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.