For a few weeks in February 2012, Jeremy Lin was a superhero. Long before Shang-Chi arrived in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Lin was a humble, unheralded point guard from Harvard who broke barriers and inspired audiences simply by playing basketball. All you had to do was tune into a game at Madison Square Garden to witness the magic, and you didn't even need to be an NBA fan to do so.

In that brief time, Lin generated a cultural phenomenon known as "Linsanity" as he torched the competition for the New York Knicks, leading them on an absolute run of games and outplaying some of the league's best players on a nightly basis. It was a season that would be remembered for years to come, and the point guard's rise from relative obscurity into stardom was a testament to how incredibly hard work can pay off.

Despite all of that, Lin was ultimately not able to build upon his initial success and the Knicks decided to move on from him. While rumors swirled of jealousy from his other teammates, particularly Carmelo Anthony, and locker room discord, no one can really say what exactly was behind the decision to let Lin go.

Since his time in New York, Lin has played sparingly in the NBA. The 34-year-old has spent the majority of his career in international basketball leagues, most recently with the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers of the P.League+ in Taiwan. In 2023, he signed with the Guangzhou Loonglions of the Chinese Basketball Association, and it seemed like his time in the NBA was finally coming to an end.