Jeremy Lin Says He’s Been Called ‘Coronavirus’ on the Court

NBA veteran Jeremy Lin says that he has been called “coronavirus” on the court during games.

Lin, 32, told of the insult during an Instagram post in which he sought to show that Asian Americans can also be victims of poverty and racism.

“Being an Asian American doesn’t mean we don’t experience poverty and racism,” Lin wrote. “Being a 9 year NBA veteran doesn’t protect me from being called ‘coronavirus’ on the court.”

Lin continued:

Something is changing in this generation of Asian Americans. We are tired of being told that we don’t experience racism, 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.

Lin is currently a member of the Santa Cruz Warriors of the NBA’s G-League.