‘Shocking’ Jeremy Lin racism claim investigated by NBA

NBA veteran Jeremy Lin has sent shockwaves across basketball after revealing his powerful response to an on-court racial slur.

Jeremy Linn back when he played for the Knicks.

Former NBA star Jeremy Lin has made a powerful, public stand following claims he was called “coronavirus” during a game.

A Taiwanese-American currently playing in the NBA’s G-League with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Lin posted a quote after he spoke about a spike in Asian-American hate crimes.

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CNN reported NYPD data that “there were 29 reported racially-motivated crimes against people of Asian descent in 2020 in New York City, and 24 of those were attributed to ‘coronavirus motivation’,” up from three in 2019.

While the report adds that it’s not just New York that there is an issue, Lin expanded on his comments on Instagram after making a shocking statement on Facebook earlier this week that stated: “Being a 9 year NBA veteran doesn’t protect me from being called ‘coronavirus’ on the court”.

Jeremy Lin in 2017 when he played for the Brooklyn Nets.

He said in a follow-up Instagram post: “I want better for my elders who worked so hard and sacrificed so much to make a life for themselves here. I want better for my niece and nephew and future kids. I want better for the next generation of Asian American athletes than to have to work so hard to just be ‘deceptively athletic’.

“Being an Asian American doesn’t mean we don’t experience poverty and racism.

“Being a 9 year NBA veteran doesn’t protect me from being called “coronavirus” on the court.

“Being a man of faith doesn’t mean I don’t fight for justice, for myself and for others.”

A G-League spokesperson confirmed to the New York Times that an investigation was being opened into the claims.

Lin was the first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent when he broke into the Warriors organisation in 2010.

He is most warmly remembered as the man behind the “Linsanity” NBA freak-out when he went on a point-scoring spree while playing for the New York Knicks in 2012.

Lin took his powerful stance another step further on Sunday morning (AEDT) with another Instagram post calling for change.

“I know this will disappoint some of you but I’m not naming or shaming anyone,” he wrote alongside a cartoon picture of himself playing with the Warriors.

“What good does it do in this situation for someone to be torn down? It doesn’t make my community safer or solve any of our long-term problems with racism.

“When I experienced racism in the Ivy League, it was my assistant coach Kenny Blakeney that talked me through it. He shared with me his own experiences as a Black man — stories of racism I couldn’t begin to comprehend. Stories including being called the n-word and having things thrown at him from cars driving by. He drew from his experiences with identity to teach me how to stay strong in mine. He was also the first person to tell me I was an NBA player as a sophomore at Harvard. I thought he was crazy.

Linsanity was a helluva ride for Knicks fans. Getty.

“The world will have you believe that there isn’t enough justice or opportunities to go around. That we only have time to pay attention to one people group at a time so we all need to fight for that spot. That the people you see hurting other people that look like you on the news represent an entire group of people. But this just isn’t true.

Fighting ignorance with ignorance will get us nowhere. Sharing our own pain by painting another group of people with stereotypes is NOT the way.”

While social media was soon flooded with support for the 2019 NBA champion with the Toronto Raptors, one of eight NBA clubs he played with throughout his nine-year NBA career, the strongest support came from Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

An outspoken critic of former US president Donald Trump, Kerr took aim at the alleged slur.

“It’s just so ridiculous and obviously spawned by many people, including our former president, as it relates to the coronavirus originating in China. It’s just shocking,” he said.

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr.

“I can’t wrap my head around any of it, but I can’t wrap my head around racism in general. We’re all just flesh and blood. We’re all just people. As Pop once said to me, we’re all accidents of birth. We’re born. We come out the way we are. We don’t have a say in it.”

“What we do have a say in is how we treat people. It’s shocking to me that we can treat each other so poorly based on the colour of skin or whatever it is. So I applaud Jeremy for speaking up.”

Let’s please listen to Jeremy Lin. Please. https://t.co/U1tWBu3mgW

— Ryan Bathe (@michellechel) February 27, 2021

Preach it @JLin7https://t.co/YPpFq0CJ38

— Matthew Mohan (@MatthewMohanCNA) February 27, 2021

The G-League is supposed to be about guys finding their way to the NBA or finding their way back to the NBA. I root for G-League guys to make it.

Whoever called Jeremy Lin "coronavirus" doesn't deserve that shot. That's not a "I made a mistake" situation. That's hatred.

— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) February 27, 2021

Somebody called Jeremy Lin "coronavirus" on the court. This guy should be banned from the G-League, permanently! pic.twitter.com/NhlrrTv1Ii

— Harris Stavrou (@harris_stavrou) February 26, 2021

This is so well put by Jeremy Lin: https://t.co/l1GWyqTtJa

— Rick Bonnell (@rick_bonnell) February 26, 2021

Originally published as ‘Shocking’ Jeremy Lin racism claim investigated by NBA