Mon, Apr 13, 2026 page6

• Braves sweep Beast’s retirement series

  STILL IN IT: Lin, a cornerstone of the ‘Golden Generation,’ who led the Braves to three consecutive championships, is to continue with the team after retiring as a player

  • Staff writer, with CNA
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  The Taipei Fubon Braves’ Lin Chih-chieh, widely regarded as Taiwan’s greatest basketball player, last night scored eight points in an emotional comeback victory in the final game of his retirement series at the Taipei Arena.

  The Braves overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to survive the Yankey Ark Professional Basketball Team 91-89 to give the 42-year-old shooting guard, nicknamed “The Beast,” an appropriate end to the series. Both games were played in front of a sellout crowd of 13,500.

  Lin on Saturday scored a season-high 21 points in their 114-95 win over the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots on the first night of the retirement games.

  

  Fans hold up a banner to celebrate the career of the Taipei Fubon Braves’ Lin Chih-chieh during his P.League+ game against the Yankey Ark Professional Basketball Team at the Taipei Arena last night.

  Photo: CNA

  Despite a retirement ceremony last night, Lin would continue to play the remaining games of the season, the Braves said.

  During the ceremony, Daniel Tsai, who runs Fubon Group with his brother Richard Tsai, said that Lin would stay on as a staff member with the team after retiring as a player.

  Lin was already teary-eyed before the game started when they brought in his father, Lin Ming-te, to perform the ceremonial tip-off.

  

  The Taipei Fubon Braves’ Lin Chih-chieh, left, drives the ball past the Yankey Ark Professional Basketball Team defenders during their P.League+ game at the Taipei Arena last night.

  Photo: CNA

  The Braves were trailing 49-37 at the start of the third quarter, until Chou Kuei-yu tied the game 59-59 with just less than five minutes left in the period. Archie Lee Goodwin III dunked in the final two minutes to take the lead 70-64.

  The Yankey kept up the pressure throughout the last quarter, but the Braves held their edge to win 91-89.

  Mouhamed Mbaye led the Braves with 24 points, followed by Goodwin with 19, Chou with 12 and Hung Kai-chieh with 10.

  

  The Taipei Fubon Braves’ Lin Chih-chieh, center left, poses with his father, Lin Ming-te, center right, before their P.League+ game against the Yankey Ark Professional Basketball Team at the Taipei Arena last night.

  Photo: CNA

  In Saturday’s game, Lin Chih-chieh did not keep fans waiting long after tip-off, knocking down four of his first five shots from beyond the arc, including his first three attempts, to score 14 points in less than five minutes in the first quarter before being subbed out.

  “So many things had gone through my mind before the game,” Lin Chih-chieh said. “But I locked in and focused on execution once the game started.”

  He finished the first half with 18 points, making all four of his free throws, as the Braves built a commanding 64-42 lead.

  Lin Chih-chieh, who has averaged about 18 minutes per game this season, logged nearly 25 minutes on Saturday and attempted 11 field goals — his third and second-highest totals of the season respectively.

  After scoring just three points in the second half, he said his early outburst was due to having more energy at the start of the game, adding that he shifted his focus to defense later on.

  A tense moment came in the second half when Lin Chih-chieh fell onto his back in the paint, briefly raising concerns among the crowd. He remained in the game, but before being rested with fewer than two minutes remaining.

  The wins also carried playoff implications. The Braves improved to 9-12, sitting third in the four-team P.League+ (PLG) standings, three games ahead of the 3-15 Yankey, with three games left in the regular season for the Braves. Only the top three teams advance to the playoffs.

  Braves general manager and acting head coach Roger Hsu said Lin Chih-chieh had prioritized the team’s success over his own milestone performance.

  “But I told him you still have to play for all the fans who paid to see you,” Hsu said.

  Lin Chih-chieh’s career, which began in 2003 with Taiwan Beer in the Super Basketball League (SBL), has spanned more than two decades and multiple leagues. He moved to the Chinese Basketball Association in 2009, where he earned seven All-Star selections before returning to Taiwan to join the Braves in 2019.

  A cornerstone of Taiwan’s “Golden Generation,” Lin Chih-chieh has won two SBL titles and helped lead the Braves to three consecutive PLG championships from 2021 to 2023.

  Pilots head coach Iurgi Caminos, who began coaching in Taiwan in 2022, said Lin Chih-chieh’s legacy extends beyond his on-court achievements.

  “I always felt like you are playing against someone that really respects the game,” Caminos said. “He’s a great competitor and always respectful.”
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