Jeremy Lin Discusses Anti-Asian Racism, Departure From Knicks And How ‘Door’ Appears ‘Shut’ On Return To NBA

It has been more than a decade since “Linsanity” reigned at Madison Square Garden, yet Jeremy Lin is back in the news ahead of his new documentary, “38 At The Garden,” which will be released on HBO on Oct. 11.

In a series of interviews, Lin, now 34 and playing in China, discussed a number of topics, including the anti-Asian racism he felt from media and fans, his divorce from the Carmelo Anthony-led Knicks and his own future, which does not look like it will include a return to the NBA.

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In his 12 starts before the All-Star break in 2012, Lin captured the imagination of the sporting world when he averaged 22.5 points and 8.7 assists per game as the Knicks went 9–3. That stretch included Lin’s 38-point outing against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

Lin told Sopan Deb of The New York TimesNYT
that he originally didn’t want to do a documentary on “Linsanity,” but has made his peace with that period of his life.

“I’m very comfortable saying, ‘Oh, yeah, that was Linsanity.’ That shows you where I’m at with it.

“Originally, I was like, I’ll never do anything around Linsanity. I don’t want to do a documentary or any of that stuff, or go back in time.

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“But then, I was like, I have no problem with it. I would actually love to because it was a special moment and also because we need to be talking about it right now. Linsanity has become so much more important and valuable to me.”

A Taiwanese-American born in Torrance, Calif., Lin says he’s dealt with anti-Asian racism throughout his career. The New York Post once famously had a back-page headline that read “Amasian” in reference to Lin’s exploits. A February 2012 “Saturday Night Live” skit poked fun as such headlines and addressed the racially insensitive missteps made by some of the media covering Lin at the time.

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Lin said he’s not sure if he’d ever seen the skit but added that he had to deal with “racist ways” during his NBA career.

“That’s why this whole thing with Linsanity is complex,” he said. “My whole life, I tried to run from being Asian, and when I was on the basketball court and the ball was tipped off, race did not matter. It was my safe space to be myself without having to be the token Asian. By the time that Linsanity came around and I got worldwide recognition, the only thing people really wanted to talk about was my ethnicity and my race and oftentimes in very demeaning and condescending and just racist ways.

“It was like the thing where I was like, I just don’t want you guys to talk about me being Asian. I just want you to appreciate what I’m doing on the court. I’m an artist, and you’re missing out on the art.

“I had to grow up in the sense of why am I, 10 years later, willing to go back in time? It’s because I didn’t use that time and that influence the way that I wish I did. I wish I’d talked so much more about me being Asian but talked about it in better ways versus trying to run from it.”

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Lin continued to have to deal with racist attacks while playing in the NBA G League during the pandemic, including being called “coronavirus” while on court.

“Being an Asian American doesn’t mean we don’t experience poverty and racism,” Lin, playing with the Santa Cruz Warriors in the G League bubble, wrote in an Instagram post in February 2021. “Being a 9 year NBA veteran doesn’t protect me from being called ‘coronavirus’ on the court.”

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As for his time with the Knicks, ex-coach Mike D’Antoni and former forward Amar’e Stoudemire have said in the intervening years that some players resented the attention Lin received during “Linsanity,” with the understanding that Carmelo Anthony wasn’t a big fan.

“I mean, I think that’s… that’s the theory, and that’s what everyone says, but I can’t feed the speculation train because I don’t actually know,” he told the Daily Beast. “I know, and I’m saying this truthfully, that there were multiple points of opposition completely outside of Melo within what was going on, and once D’Antoni resigned, there was already opposition within the organization—whether it was the coaching staff that took over or certain members of the front office. But there was definitely, from what I’ve heard or gathered in the few years after, it wasn’t all as rosy as people thought it was. I don’t know who to attribute it to, but I know there were multiple points of opposition.”

The Knicks moved on after the 2011-12 season and Lin signed with the Houston Rockets. He bounced around to the Lakers, Hornets, Nets, Hawks and Raptors, winning and NBA title in Toronto in 2019 when he played a total of 27 minutes in the playoffs. He became the first Asian-American to win an NBA title.

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Lin played with the Santa Cruz Warriors in 2021 during the pandemic, but later ended up in China, where he now plays for the Guangzhou Loong Lions.

He said he “hopes” to play in the NBA again, but doesn’t think it’s “in the cards.”

“I’ve accepted all the challenges of all the front offices to go back and to show you guys that I can do this,” he told the Times. “And I did, and it wasn’t enough. I’ll always want to play in the N.B.A. I mean, I loved my time there. I love competing in that league, but I just don’t think that’s in the cards anymore.”

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