Knicks icon Jeremy Lin is stepping into ESPN’s NBA Finals coverage as an analyst, debuting June 3 on “SportsCenter” with Scott Van Pelt. Lin says he’s excited to watch New York—now four wins from a title—while reflecting on both the turnaround he helped spark
By the time the Knicks hit another playoff gear, Jeremy Lin’s next assignment had already started lining up. This week. the player whose lone Knicks season helped ignite the international “Linsanity” phenomenon is joining ESPN’s NBA Finals coverage as an analyst—while his former team chases a championship.
Lin, best known for his 2011-12 run with the New York Knicks, will appear on “NBA Today,” “SportsCenter,” and possibly other network programs during the Knicks-Spurs series, ESPN said. His ESPN debut is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3 on “SportsCenter” with Scott Van Pelt live in Washington D.C.
He will be watching the Finals from a different seat this time. In an interview conducted June 1, Lin said he’s excited to see the Knicks four wins away from an NBA title.
“I always felt like Knicks fans deserve the best performances. They’re so passionate,” Lin said. “And as cool as it was for me to give good performances only for that stretch of time. I genuinely wish that I was able to do more. I genuinely wish that I was able to stay longer. genuinely wish that I could have a lot more success and done things in the playoffs for the Knicks. but that never came to fruition.”.
Lin played in the NBA for nine seasons. including two-year stints in Houston and Brooklyn and part of the Toronto Raptors’ championship 2019 season. But he remains most closely tied to his one Knicks season—an impact that extended beyond basketball. Current Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, who grew up in New Jersey, credited Lin for influencing his Knicks fandom.
In February 2012, Lin helped shift the Knicks’ season. After joining the starting lineup, he led the team on a seven-game win streak while star Carmelo Anthony was out injured. New York then reached the Eastern Conference playoffs.
What followed was the part Lin still carries with him: the Knicks were eliminated in the first round, and Lin was injured and unable to play.
“I don’t think people understand the agony – putting in that much. having the team be able to turn around and really find good rhythm. and then to not be there for the most important games. ” Lin said. “It was really hard for me to not be out on the floor. I know that there were some reports at that time. but the reality was. I was doing everything I could to try get back and contribute. and I wasn’t able to do that.”.
Those memories are shaping how he approaches broadcasting now. Lin said he plans to lean on his playoff experience across four different seasons with three different teams, and use it in his analyst role with ESPN.
“The goal for me is really how do I bring my previous experience and distill the complexities into something simple and digestible for the fans?” Lin said. “And that’s not just the successes. It’s the failures of multiple first-round exits before I was able to be a part of a team that was able to win it all. And seeing what worked. what didn’t work or what was the differentiator in getting us over the top. those are the things that I want to talk about.”.
Lin said the idea of TV didn’t form while he was still playing. He added that, during his career, he never contemplated a broadcast path. After he returned from playing basketball in China and decided to retire, he started looking for his next steps.
In March, Lin made a guest analyst appearance on “NBA Today,” calling it effectively a three-day trial period. He said he wanted to test whether he was passionate about broadcasting and whether a network would give him the chance. His analytical breakdown of Luka Doncic’s isolation play was well-received by viewers and helped answer his questions.
“I think after those three days, the reception that we got from the fans as well as what I felt internally was definitely beyond what I expected,” Lin said. “So that was nice in the sense of like, oh, people had really appreciated the breakdown, but I also felt joy in being back in NBA basketball.”
To prepare, he reached out to three former teammates-turned-analysts—Danny Green, Iman Shumpert and Steve Novak—for advice. He also said he’s relied on ESPN anchor Malika Andrews and Guy, the vice president of production, for constant coaching.
“I’m less of the super hot take, loud persona,” Lin said. “I try to be somewhat even keeled, I try to be educated and then I try to be uplifting, even if I have to criticize.”
He said he’s learned that broadcasting is harder than it looks, and that he plans to stick with it anyway. While his current ESPN agreement runs only through these Finals, Lin said he wants to continue afterward.
“I definitely have serious interest in trying to do this more and to do this long-term,” Lin said. “Honestly. I’m just really grateful to ESPN for these opportunities and I know that it’s truly special that they were willing to carve the space for me in the Finals. I know that doesn’t grow on trees and is something extremely special, so I’m just very grateful.”.
Jeremy Lin ESPN NBA Finals Knicks Spurs Linsanity Karl-Anthony Towns SportsCenter NBA Today Scott Van Pelt Malika Andrews Luka Doncic