The ten-year NBA veteran shared his thoughts and feelings on the increased racism and xenophobia Asians have experienced in the United States in recent months.
What We Know:
- Jeremy Lin, who currently plays for the Golden State Warriors G-League affiliate, the Santa Cruz Warriors, spoke candidly last week on his experiences with racism on an NBC Sports Bay Area discussion titled “Race In America: A Candid Conversation.”
- In the discussion, Lin calls for unity in the nation as violence against Asians has risen since the beginning of the pandemic. Inflammatory comments made by former President Trump and his supporters blaming China for the coronavirus outbreak only served to increase tensions.
- Speaking on his own life, Lin revealed in a Facebook post that being an NBA veteran didn’t stop him from being called “coronavirus” on the court.
- A few days later, Lin followed the post with another on Twitter explaining that he won’t be naming the person who called him “coronavirus,” stating: “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.”
— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) February 27, 2021
- Lin has been avidly campaigning for the increased awareness of Asian struggles as the community grapples with rising attacks. Lin, who is Taiwanese-American and grew up in the Bay Area, had this to say when asked about his feelings toward the violence:
“I feel bad for somebody who harbors hate for somebody else, who they’ve never met, just based on skin color. That makes me want to do something. . . .to educate people or speak out and find ways to make a difference. Honestly, it goes from anger to just heartbreak.”
- On how he thinks the current situation can be improved, Lin believes that an understanding of other marginalized groups will begin to heal the divisions in our country. “I’ve always said that in the long run, it can’t only be Asians caring about Asian issues, or African Americans caring about African American issues. If, as minorities, we want the majority to understand what it’s like to live a minority experience, and to sympathize and change, we as minorities also have to collaborate, unify and use our voices and stand up for each other,” Lin said, speaking to NBC Sports.
Jeremy Lin was the first American of Taiwanese or Chinese descent to play in the NBA. He rose to fame in 2012 with the New York Knicks during an impressive win streak dubbed “Linsanity” that swarmed the nation. Later on, he became the first Asian-American to win an NBA championship, doing so with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
