File photo of Jeremy Lin. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - Former NBA player Jeremy Lin has announced his retirement from professional basketball.

"As athletes, we are always aware that the possibility of retirement is never far away. I've spent my 15-year career knowing that one day I would have to walk away, and yet actually saying goodbye to basketball today has been the hardest decision I've ever made," he wrote on his Instagram account on Sunday.

Going undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft, Lin averaged 11.6 points and 4.3 assists across a nine-year NBA career between 2010 and 2019. His highlight in the NBA was with the New York Knicks in the 2011-12 season, where he led the Knicks to a seven-game winning streak upon his promotion to the starting lineup, including a career-high 38 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. He became the first NBA player to score at least 20 points and dish out seven assists in each of his first five starts, with his phenomenal performance making him dubbed as "Linsanity".

"It's been the honor of a lifetime to compete against the fiercest competitors under the brightest lights and to challenge what the world thought was possible for someone who looks like me," continued the 37-year-old. "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."

Lin's NBA spells also included the Houston Rockets, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Charlotte Hornets, the Brooklyn Nets, the Atlanta Hawks and the Toronto Raptors, where he won the NBA championship in 2019.

He also played for the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) sides the Beijing Ducks and the Guangzhou Loong Lions from 2019 to 2022.

Lin expressed gratitude to people who have accompanied him and shown belief in him along the way.

"So many people have sacrificed and poured into my journey, more than I could ever repay. Thank you all for believing in me, for walking with me, for celebrating my highs and picking me up in my lows."

"This is a ride I never wanted to end, but I know it's time. I will forever miss playing basketball in front of you all but our time will go beyond just playing. Here's to what's ahead," he concluded.