Jeremy Lin #7 of the Santa Cruz Warriors looks on in the game agaisnt the Delaware Blue Coats at AdventHealth Arena in Orlando, Florida, U.S., February 12, 2021. /CFP
The NBA G League is looking into a claim by Jeremy Lin that he was called "coronavirus" in a game, reported ESPN's Marc J. Spears on Friday.
Lin is a Chinese American guard of the Santa Cruz Warriors and he had been playing for the CBA's Beijing Ducks for a year before returning to the U.S. to pursue a new NBA career. He posted on Facebook on Thursday about the racist behaviors targeting him and the Asian American community.
"Being an Asian American doesn't mean we don't experience poverty and racism. Being a nine-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. So here we are again, sharing how we feel. Is anyone listening?" wrote Lin.
Jeremy Lin #7 of the Santa Cruz Warriors tries to penetrate in the game against the Westchester Knicks at HP Field House in Orlando, Florida, U.S., February 13, 2021. /CFP
"Something is changing in this generation of Asian Americans. We are tired of being told to keep our heads down and not make trouble. We are tired of Asian American kids growing up and being asked where they're REALLY from, of having our eyes mocked, of being objectified as exotic or being told we're inherently unattractive. We are tired of the stereotypes in Hollywood affecting our psyche and limiting who we think we can be. We are tired of being invisible, of being mistaken for our colleague or told our struggles aren't as real."
"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.'"
Prejudice, hatred and violence against Asians are not rumors on unsubstantiated evidence – on the contrary, they are true in blood. For example, security camera footage from January 30 in San Francisco showed 84-year-old Vicha Ratanapakdee from Thailand being barreled down by a 19-year-old assailant. He later succumbed to his injuries.
A day later, a 91-year-old man was shoved to the ground by an attacker in Chinatown in Oakland, according to a surveillance video. He survived, and the attacker was arrested and charged in three different assault cases on the same day.
Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors, instructs his players in the game against the Toronto Raptors at Chase Center in San Francisco, California, U.S., January 10, 2021. /CFP
"Really powerful. I applaud Jeremy for his words and echo his sentiments regarding racism against the Asian-American community. 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. I can't wrap my head around any of it, but I can't wrap my head around racism in general," said Steve Kerr, head coach of the Golden State Warriors on Friday.
"It's shocking to me that we can treat each other so poorly based on the color of skin or whatever it is. So I applaud Jeremy for speaking up."
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lkaers looks on in the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, U.S., February 26, 2021. /CFP
Racism has been haunting the NBA for decades and there have been many players standing out to fight it – Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson, and today's LeBron James. In response to the comments of football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic against him getting involved in politics, James said on Friday that he will "never shut up about things that are wrong."
"He (Ibrahimovic) was the same guy who said when he was back in Sweden ... because his last name wasn't a certain last name, that he felt there was some racism going on when he was out on the pitch. I speak from a very educated mind, so I'm kind of the wrong guy to actually go at because I do my homework," said James.
Back in 2018, Ibrahimovic of Bosnian extraction expressed his anger to Canal+ over certain treatment from the media. "I am not Andersson or Svensson. If I would be that, trust me, they would defend me even if I would rob a bank. They would defend me, I tell you."
"I would never shut up about things that are wrong. I preach about my people, and I preach about equality. Social injustice. Racism. Systematic voter suppression. Things that go on in our community," said James.
Though Lin and James have totally different careers, they share this in common: both confront racism without backing off.