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The G League is examining a claim by Jeremy Lin that he was called a “coronavirus” on the pitch during a game. Lin, the former NBA guard who is trying to break into the league, posted a speech on Facebook last week about the ongoing racism facing the Asian-American community, while giving personal examples of racism. that he was confronted with.
“Being a 9-year NBA veteran doesn’t protect me from being called a ‘coronavirus’ in the field,” Lin wrote in her post.
Lin did not go into details on when this incident took place, or if it even happened while playing in the G League, which just started his season a few weeks ago where he was playing with Warriors G League affiliate, the Warriors of Santa Cruz. Lin went on to explain how “this generation of Asian Americans is tired of being told that we are not racist.”
“We are tired of being told to keep our heads down and not to make trouble. We are tired of Asian American kids growing up and being asked where they REALLY come from, to laugh. of our eyes, of being objectified as alien or being told. We are inherently unattractive. We are tired of stereotypes in Hollywood that affect our psyche and limit who we think we can be. We are tired of being invisible, d to be mistaken for our colleague or to tell ourselves that our struggles are not so real. “
One day after making his request, Lin took to Twitter to be clear, he didn’t intend to call anyone specifically about the offensive comments. Instead, he hoped to use the situation as a learning experience.
“I know this will disappoint some of you, but I don’t name or shame anyone,” Lin said. “What’s the point in this situation for someone to be demolished?” It doesn’t make my community any safer and it doesn’t solve any of our long term racism issues … Fighting ignorance through ignorance will get us nowhere. Sharing our own pain by painting another group of people with stereotypes is NOT the way.
“Listen to the voices that teach us to be anti-racist towards ALL people,” Lin added. Hear other stories, broaden your perspective. I think this generation may be different. But we will need empathy and solidarity to get us there. ”
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, there has been an increase in racial attacks against Asian Americans in this country, which has led many advocacy groups to call for action and change. Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that tackled anti-Asian hatred during the COVID-19 pandemic, released a report in August saying it received more than 2,500 complaints of hatred and discrimination against Asian Americans since the creation of the group in March 2020.
The conversation around racism and discrimination against Asian Americans has prompted many prominent figures from across industries to speak out on the topic, as the hashtag “StopAsianHate” has been trending on Twitter for several days. National Association of Basketball Players issued a statement the same day, Lin posted on Facebook, which read:
“The NBPA condemns all forms of racism, discrimination or antagonism directed against specific ethnic groups. We stand in solidarity with the Asian-American community and abhor the recent disgusting acts of violence against them – this hatred has no place in our society. “
Friday night, the Warriors head coach Steve Kerr applauded Lin’s words and said he would also like to see the NBA investigate his claim.
“I just saw the Facebook post earlier,” Kerr said. “Truly powerful. I applaud Jeremy for his words and echo his sentiments regarding racism against the Asian-American community. It’s so ridiculous and obviously spawned by many people, including our former president. [Donald Trump], with regard to the coronavirus originating in China. It’s just shocking. I don’t know – I can’t understand anything, but I can’t understand racism in general. “
Lin was the first US-born Chinese or Taiwanese NBA player born in the United States when he began his career with Golden State in 2010. He quickly rose to fame after joining the Knicks during the 2011-2012 season, where he averaged 14.6 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds in 35 games. He earned the nickname “Linsanity,” after accumulating 24.4 points and nine assists while leading the Knicks on a seven-game winning streak this season.
This isn’t the first time Lin has addressed the racism he faces while playing basketball. During a podcast appearance in 2017, the veteran guard said he received racist taunts while playing in the NBA, but the worst was during his four years at college at Harvard while he was playing on the road.
“The worst was at Cornell, when I was called a c — k,” Lin said on Outside Shot with Randy Foye. “That’s when it happened. I don’t know … that game, I ended up playing horribly and got a few accusations and I did stuff really out of my mind. character. My teammate told my coaches [that] they called Jeremy a c — k the whole first half. I didn’t say anything, because when that sort of thing happens, I just settle, I go bottled – where I go into turtle mode and say nothing and internalize everything. “
Although Lin has talked about this many times in the past, it often doesn’t lead to more action or change from others. Hopefully this time people will start to take notice and people will start to be held responsible for the heinous racism against the Asian-American community.
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