Every NBA offseason delivers plot twists, but Jeremy Lin ’s retirement hit differently. The man who gave the league its very own cultural phenomenon, “Linsanity,” officially said goodbye to professional basketball.

Which, by the way, closes a nine-year NBA run and a global second act that stretched from Beijing to Taipei. The point guard who once detonated February with 24.6 and 9.2 over a 10-game heater leaves as a champion, a cultural milestone, and, true to form, private about the people he loves. That privacy sparked a durable rumor.

His farewell note was reflective, gracious, and, for fans, emotional. “I’ve lived out my wildest childhood dreams to play in front of fans all around the world. I will forever be the kid who felt fully alive every time I touched a basketball.” But

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