Tearful Jeremy Lin Leaves China, CBA To Chase 'NBA Dreams'

A tearful Jeremy Lin revealed Tuesday he is leaving the Chinese Basketball Association to continue chasing his NBA dream.

The 32-year-old basketball confirmed the news in a video post on the Chinese social media platform, Weibo. Lin, who played for the Beijing Ducks, hopes to return to the NBA after playing one season in China.

“This decision has really been the hardest in my life,” Lin said, as noted by AFP.

"Every morning I would wake up at 4:00 am or 5:00 a.m., thinking, thinking and thinking all the time.

"In the end, although Shougang has treated me incredibly well ... giving me everything I wanted, in the end, I feel that I still have NBA dreams.”

Lin was part of the Toronto Raptors roster that won the 2019 NBA Championship and is the first Asian-American to achieve this feat. In the CBA, he helped the Ducks reach the semi-finals before falling at the hands of the Guangdong Southern Tigers. There, he averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 39 games.

In the post, Lin said he believes there are still years left for him to play in the biggest basketball league in the world. This is despite admitting the decision to leave China has been “difficult.”

“Yesterday, when I shared this with my family and friends, when I told them I would have to leave China, I cried," he added. Lin also thanked his fans for sticking with him through his journey.

Lin has played 10 seasons in the NBA, starting with the Golden State Warriors in 2010. He is, however, best known for his one-season stint with the New York Knicks when he unleashed “Linsanity.” He averaged his highest in points (14.6) and assists (6.2) in that 2011-12 NBA season.