Jeremy Lin ‘loses 20 pounds’ after long Covid-19 bout as he returns to Beijing Ducks against CBA league leaders Flying Leopards
- The former NBA star opens up about his long battle with Covid-19, isolation and disruptions as he prepares for his CBA return
- Lin is back to active competition this weekend with the Beijing Ducks after a 10-month absence
Jeremy Lin has not had the best year, but the former NBA star will look to turn that around when he returns to Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) team Beijing Ducks on Christmas Day to face league leaders Flying Leopards.
On Monday, the 33-year-old fronted the media for the first time since his return, admitting that his battle with Covid-19, while not serious, had a big impact on his training and preparation.
After re-signing with the CBA team, he arrived back in China in August but tested positive for Covid-19 and had to undergo treatment in hospital.
“The symptoms of Covid-19 did not affect me, but I was isolated for so long and this affected my body the most,” Lin said. “A lot of hard work went to waste and the [league] couldn’t do anything about it. After testing positive, I lost about 20 pounds. That is what affected me the most.”
Lin, who helped take the Ducks to the CBA play-offs in the 2019-20 season, returned to China earlier this year after failing to land an NBA contract. The veteran player had spent a season in the NBA’s G League where he turned in some impressive performances. But no franchise came in for him.
After an almost 10-month lay-off from competition, Lin’s focus is back on getting his team a better standing in the CBA league. The Ducks will go into this weekend’s match ranked ninth in the league, with eight wins and five losses. They face an in-form Flying Leopards who are riding a 13-game win streak.
“We look forward to playing Saturday’s game, we’ve been practising quite well so far,” he said. “My mood was very bad after seeing so many plans being disrupted. The isolation experience affected me a lot, but I have slowly regained my own rhythm. I feel grateful to be able to practise with the team every day. I will focus more on the joy of playing.”
Jeremy Lin returns to Beijing Ducks for 2021-22 CBA season
In his previous run with the Beijing Ducks, Lin – who inspired the “Linsanity” craze with the New York Knicks during the 2011-12 season – had been a dominant force for the team. In his 39 appearances in the 2019-20 CBA season, he averaged 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals in about 33 minutes per game.
Since returning to China, Lin’s focus has also been on his charity work in addition to being vocal about the prospects for emerging basketball talent in Asia. During Monday’s press briefing Lin continued to express his view that Asia-based players should be getting more attention and recognition than they do at a regional and global level.
“Basketball in Asia has been developing really well, we see improvements in players every year, they are getting better skills and talent.
“I hope Asian basketballers can win the respect of the world. I think it’s a good thing. In my opinion, I don’t consider the colour of my skin in my performance. I just hope that the world will see more Asian players.”
