Jeremy Lin joins ESPN for Game 1 in San Antonio
jeremy lin is joining for the NBA Finals matchup with the Spurs, and his debut starts Wednesday with Game 1 in San Antonio. He will join Scott Van Pelt on that broadcast, giving the network a former Knicks guard with a direct link to the team’s first Finals since 1999.
Lin Returns to NBA Coverage
Lin said he had a three-day trial run with the network in March as a guest analyst on NBA Today, and the response pushed him toward a full Finals role. “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,” he said.
He added, “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.” The move puts him back on NBA television just as the Knicks reach the league’s final round for the first time since 1999.
Knicks Memories from 2012
Lin’s name still carries weight in New York because of his 2012 run, when he became an international superstar during about a month with the Knicks. He averaged 25 points, 9.2 assists and 3.6 rebounds during a seven-game win streak, then delivered a 38-point game against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.
That stretch ended with his role changing once Carmelo Anthony returned and injuries limited his time. Lin later said, “I always felt like Knicks fans deserve the best performances. They’re so passionate,” and he added that he wished he could have stayed longer and done more for the franchise in the playoffs.
San Antonio on Wednesday
Wednesday’s assignment gives Lin a national stage as the Finals begin in San Antonio and as the Knicks again occupy the spotlight he once helped create. For his career, he averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds before officially retiring in August 2025 after playing for a number of years overseas.
The broadcast also adds a layer of history to a series defined by the Spurs and the Knicks’ long wait to get back here. For viewers, the first game now includes a former Knicks guard who lived one of the franchise’s most memorable short runs and is back to break it down.
