BASKETBALL/TPBL championship win 'toughest' of pro career: Jeremy Lin

Taipei, June 30 (CNA) Coming into the twilight of his pro career, one-time NBA champion Jeremy Lin (林書豪) said the title of the 2024-2025 TPBL season was the "toughest" one he has ever won.

"This is the championship that challenged me most," he said following the New Taipei Kings' 108-89 win against the Kaohsiung Aquas at home on Sunday.

"I wasn't under much pressure when I was on the Toronto Raptors and won the NBA championship because I was mostly benched, so yeah, this is the toughest playoffs in my basketball career."

The title was Lin's second consecutive one with the Kings and the first of the nascent Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL). The best-of-seven final series unfurled with the two teams going back and forth, and no one winning two straight games.

Lin, who had secured the league's regular season MVP in mid-June, was named the Finals MVP by averaging 22.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, six assists, and 1.9 steals in the series.

Experienced as he was, Lin said the honor came only because he "gave everything on the court."

"With all due respect, I'm 36 years old already, and I've had major injuries, so I had to have treatment until 1-2 a.m. every day and continue doing it when I woke up, not being able to see my family much this playoffs. I really gave it 100 percent of my effort," he said.

He gave special thanks to teammates Lee Kai-yan (李愷諺) and Joseph Lin (林書緯), his brother, for making sacrifices despite their talent and capabilities, saying nothing -- not even winning an NBA championship -- can be as fun as accomplishing it with family.

In response, Joseph Lin said he is "very willing to make the sacrifice" for his brother.

"He would not have joined the team if I were not on the Kings, so I knew that I would have to sacrifice a lot when he came. I'm very willing to do so, as long as we can get the champ[ionship]," he said.

Both at the award ceremony and post-game news conference, Joseph Lin ribbed his brother by asking whether he would play one more year, but Jeremy Lin did not take the bait.

Instead, he thanked fans for their support and laughed: "It's annoying sometimes to have such a naughty little brother."