ESPN has brought Jeremy Lin back into the NBA spotlight, more than a year after he retired from professional basketball. The former NY Knicks guard will join the network’s full-time analyst lineup for the 2026-27 season, days after ESPN moved to bring Jason Kidd into its coverage.

Lin made the news official in his own style: with a joke about unemployment and a nod to the next chapter.

“No longer unemployed!! The start of a new chapter of life. The start of my LinkedIn page lol,” Lin wrote across his social media handles. “Thanks to the fans, glory to God!” He also shared the message in Mandarin Chinese, giving the announcement a personal touch rather than treating it as a standard career update.

ESPN confirmed the signing in its October 15 announcement of its NBA broadcast roster. Jeremy Lin will contribute to studio programming, including NBA Today, and serve as a game analyst. 

Meanwhile, Jason Kidd will work across studio and game coverage and join Malika Andrews, Kendrick Perkins, Brian Windhorst, and Shams Charania on the new-look NBA Countdown desk.

Jeremy Lin’s move is more than a guest appearance that has turned into a regular job. He first sampled ESPN’s studio coverage in March, almost a year after he retired from professional basketball.

Then he returned for the 2026 NBA Finals and Summer League coverage, establishing his footprint in sports media. 

Those assignments gave the network a longer look at how he handled on-camera analysis. Now, he is part of its season-long plans.

Lin’s route back to the NBA started in New York, where his breakout stretch in February 2012 became known as “Linsanity.”

After earning a place in the Knicks’ rotation, he sparked a seven-game winning streak and became one of the league’s most talked-about players almost overnight. It also included a thunderous performance against Kobe Bryant, where he dropped 38 points.

His playing career went well beyond that stretch. 

Jeremy Lin went undrafted in 2010, played nine NBA seasons for eight franchises, and averaged 11.6 ppg and 4.3 apg in 480 games.

His final NBA season came with the Raptors, where he earned a championship ring in 2019. Unable to secure another long-term NBA role, he continued playing in China and Taiwan before retiring in August 2025.

Jeremy Lin and Jason Kidd: Two guards and two routes in ESPN

Lin’s final season in Taiwan ended on a high note. With the New Taipei Kings, he won a championship and earned Finals MVP in 2025, capping a 15-year professional career with a major achievement. 

ESPN’s decision now gives him a way to stay close to the sport without returning to the court.

Jason Kidd brings a different kind of experience. A 10-time All-Star and HoF point guard, he won an NBA title as a player with the Mavericks in 2011. And later coached the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals. There’s hardly any dip. 

Now, the Mavs and Kidd parted ways in May 2026 after the team finished 26-56. It ended a five-season tenure that included both deep playoff runs and a rough stretch.

“Excited to join  @ESPN  for the 2026–27 season!” Kidd wrote on X. “Looking forward to working with some amazing colleagues and legends of the game, and providing my perspective in the studio for ESPN NBA Countdown!”

The two hires give ESPN analysts who saw the game from the point guard position. But their roles will not be identical. Kidd will have a regular presence on Countdown and contribute to selected game broadcasts. Jeremy Lin will appear across ESPN’s studio shows, including NBA Today, while also working games.

For Lin, the appointment comes just over a year after he announced his retirement. His playing days are over. But ESPN has offered him a new way to draw on the experience that began with Linsanity and continued through an international career.

This time, the next chapter starts in the studio.