Jeremy Lin Says Racist Remarks Were Worse In College Than In NBA
By Ryan Mayer
The topic of racism and racist taunts in sports has come to the forefront in recent weeks in light of the experiences of Orioles outfielder Adam Jones at Fenway Park just a few weeks ago.
Jones speaking out about the taunts that he faced from fans has given rise to multiple players across sports speaking out about the heckling they have faced in their careers. The latest to do so is Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin.
Speaking on his teammate Randy Foye's "Outside Shot with Randy Foye" podcast, Lin said that while he has faced his share of taunts at the professional level, nothing has compared to what he faced while playing in college for Harvard from 2006-10.
Lin related multiple experiences of the racist comments that were directed toward him by fans, opposing players, and even one coach during his time playing for the Crimson. Via ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk:
"Lin told Foye that one fan at Georgetown shouted negative Asian stereotypes at him, such as "chicken fried rice" and "beef lo mein" and "beef and broccoli," throughout the entire game. And when Harvard visited Yale one time, Lin said fans heckled his appearance, specifically his eyes.
"They were like, 'Hey! Can you even see the scoreboard with those eyes?'" Lin recalled.
That was just one of the instances described during the podcast. You can check out the full episode here.
Lin went on to say that when he was getting ready to enter the NBA he thought the taunts would be "way worse," but has been happy to find that he doesn't hear nearly as many taunts as he did in college.
In addition, Lin discussed the pressure that he felt as "Linsanity" unfolded during his debut with the Knicks in 2012, and how it became a burden to him with everyone asking what it was like to be the first Asian player in the NBA.
The full podcast is definitely worth a listen.
