Former NBA guard Jeremy Lin was not pleased with how President Donald Trump addressed the nation via Twitter, calling the novel coronavirus a āChinese Virus,ā a term that unfairly blamed the spread of this pandemic on the people of China.
Lin, who has Chinese heritage, was quick to tweet-quote Trump, denouncing him for racist intent:
š¤¦š»āāļøI wish you would powerfully support the vulnerable people that will suffer due to our mismanagement of this virus, including those that will be affected by the racism youāre empowering https://t.co/QfRHiOFGEm
ā Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) March 17, 2020
In a phone conversation with Mark Medina of USA TODAY Sports, Jeremy Lin noted how Trump's words have had a deep effect on how Asian-Americans are being treated:
āI donāt want any ethnic group or people group to be attacked or to have to deal with the racism,ā said the former NBA talent. āIf there is something that is aiding that, that would compel me to speak out. At that moment in time, I felt like a lot of Asian-Americans were being attacked and are still being attacked.ā
Since finishing last NBA season with the Toronto Raptors, he signed with the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. The CBA has yet to resume operations since coming to a halt on Jan. 19, even after international players were called back to play out the remainder of the 2019-20 campaign.
āWe're basically just waiting until June to decide whether we play in July or not,ā the former NBA star told USA TODAY Sports from Beijing. āThat's the current situation. We're kind of in limbo right now.ā
Jeremy Lin has been a longtime advocate for diversity and has proudly represented his Chinese-American roots, especially in moments of crisis. The 31-year-old is going through the same issues most Americans are undergoing at this time, only asking for fair treatment and empathy during a pandemic that is humbling the world.
Follow Us
Subscribe