Though the 2018-19 Raptors excelled because of their depth and know-how, they never had to dip far enough into their bench to use Jeremy Lin, though he still may have been the most famous player on the entire roster. The 2019 NBA champions signed Lin late in the year as a reserve fill-in, and the veteran tagged along throughout the championship run. As it turned out, Lin had some reservations about his time in Toronto, namely that he struggled with the thought that he might not have deserved a ring.
In an interview with Sports Illustrated as he gets set to play in the restarted Chinese Basketball Association, Lin acknowledged he had to come to terms with his role on the 2019 Raptors.
“I got to the point where I was like, ‘Did I earn it?’ I didn’t contribute the way I wanted, but I was good enough to be on that team and to be an NBA player,” Lin told SI.
Few players would be honest enough to go on record with such qualms, but it’s a perfectly human reaction to worry over whether your accomplishments hold weight. Still, Lin is just 31 and hasn’t given up on his NBA aspirations. Because of an unfortunately-timed injury and a buyout from the Brooklyn Nets in 2018, Lin ended up joining a team abroad far sooner than he wanted. Many NBA players have revitalized their careers in the CBA, and though Lin is a star overseas, he yearns for an NBA return at some point.
Said Lin, “For me, I still have a lot of goals. I still have a lot of things that I want to accomplish. … And I still have time.”
Though backup point guard is a deep position in the NBA, Lin has been solid throughout his career and is one of the most candid, genuine people in the league. It’s hard to think a team wouldn’t benefit from having him around in some form or fashion.