Jeremy Lin condemns ‘hate-fuelled attacks’ towards Asian Americans in powerful PSA

Brandon Wong
·Writer
·2 min read
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As hate crimes against Asian Americans continue to rise during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jeremy Lin in partnership with Bleacher Report released a PSA encouraging everyone to help “put an end to this violence and hate, together.”

Lin, who has experienced his share of racism throughout his basketball career, remains a strong advocate for the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities as hate crimes have increased by 150 percent in 2020, according to the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University.

After signing with the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State's NBA G League affiliate, in January for the remainder of the 2020-2021 season, Lin revealed in February that he had been called “coronavirus” on the court, but refused to reveal the identity of the alleged player.

The NBA G League has since identified the player in question after conducting an investigation and will handle the matter internally with Lin's support.

The 32-year-old point guard’s stint with Santa Cruz came to end on Tuesday after being eliminated from the NBA G League playoffs in the semifinals against the Lakeland Magic. Lin appeared in nine games, averaging 19.8 points and 6.4 assists per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field and 42.6 percent from beyond the arc.

Throughout his nine-year NBA career, Lin became a cultural phenomenon known as "Linsanity" with the New York Knicks in 2011, and was a part of the Toronto Raptors' title run in 2019, making him the first Asian-American player to win an NBA championship.

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A post shared by Jeremy Lin 林書豪 (@jlin7)

While his basketball future remains unclear, Lin still has his sights on making a return to the NBA.

ORLANDO, FL - FEBRUARY 28: Jeremy Lin #7 of the Santa Cruz Warriors looks on before the game against the Austin Spurs on February 28, 2021 at AdventHealth Arena in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2021 NBAE (Photo by Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)

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