Former Knicks Cult Hero Suspended 5 Games in Taiwan

Fans of the New York Knicks, or the NBA in general, should be familiar with the ‘Linsanity’ era. Jeremy Lin seemingly came out of nowhere to put up some huge games for the Knicks in the 2011-12 season.

In the 2012 offseason, many fans learned the term ‘poison-pill contract.’ A restricted free agent, Lin was offered an offer sheet that was backloaded by the Houston Rockets. It was made to dissuade the Knicks from matching, which they chose not to.

Over a decade later, the 35-year-old plays for the New Taipei Kings in Taiwan. On Tuesday, it was announced that Lin had been suspended for five games for an anti-doping violation.

Former Knicks Cult Hero Suspended 5 Games in Taiwan

Reason Behind Lin’s Suspension

Lin has been suspended five games by the P. League+ in Taiwan due to blood treatment he received to help recover from an injury.

The league’s statement mentioned how this type of blood treatment is against the World Anti-Doping Agency rules. While their investigation concluded that the treatment was suggested by the team and that no banned substances were used, the suspension was still handed out.

A Look Back at Linsanity

Entering February 4, 2012, Lin had just appeared in nine of the team’s first 22 games in the 2011-12 season. He played just six minutes per game in the ones he participated in.

Over the next seven games, the then 24-year-old saw his playing time skyrocket as New York won all seven. Over those seven outings spanning from February 4-15, Lin played an average of 37.6 minutes per game. He averaged 24.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 9.1 assists, and 1.6 steals. Lin was efficient as well, shooting 51.2% from the field.

One of the most memorable moments during that time was Lin outdueling Kobe Bryant by scoring 38 points in a seven-point win. He also confidently drained a three-pointer with less than a second left against the Toronto Raptors, providing the game-winning shot.

Lin played 19 more games for New York that season before being sidelined after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. He missed the first-round matchup that saw the Knicks get eliminated by the Miami Heat. That was the end of Lin’s Knicks tenure, and he then moved on to join the Rockets.

Lin Never Recreated the Magic From That Time

While Lin did start all 82 games for Houston in 2013-14, he didn’t have the magical moments that were seen in that brief time for the Knicks. After two seasons with the Rockets, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.

He continued to bounce around the league, playing one year for the Lakers and one with the Charlotte Hornets. Lin played 36 games for the Brooklyn Nets in 2016-17 and just one for them the following season.

Lin’s last season in the NBA was 2018-19, when he played 51 games for the Atlanta Hawks and 23 for the Raptors. Toronto won the championship that season, earning Lin a ring, but he scored just nine points in 27 minutes the entire postseason.

Over nine NBA seasons and 480 regular season games, Lin posted career averages of 11.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.1 steals.