Unlike other aspiring NBA stars, Jeremy Lin had to endure tougher challenges. Not because he didn't have what it takes to be in the league, but just because he was Asian. It was indeed unfair, but sadly, Lin had always been a victim of racism throughout his career.
No matter how hard Lin tried to ignore it, the negative thoughts crept in. It eventually took a toll on Jeremy mentally and emotionally. Even worse, it affected his overall game.
"I never walked onto the court and thought, 'I'm just like one of these guys,'" Lin told Sports & Society in 2021. "It was always, 'That's the Asian basketball player.'"
"Before I knew it, I couldn't trust anybody, and thought everybody was out to get me," he reflected. "I felt like I had to go and earn everybody's respect, like it was just me against the world."
Despite going undrafted in 2010, Lin was eventually recruited by the Golden State Warriors via a partially guaranteed deal. Jeremy became famous for a short period of time due to the "Linsanity" phenomenon, a series of games in which J-Lin put on remarkable performances for the New York Knicks .
Lin went on to play in the NBA until 2019. Even in the NBA, Jeremy still faced the same obstacles, as the color of his skin had already become a chip on his shoulder.
However, Lin divulged that out of all his traumatic experiences of racial discrimination , the worst ones took place way before he even made it to the pros. According to Jeremy, it happened when he was still a standout player for Harvard in the Ivy League.
"The worst was at Cornell, when I was being called a c—k," Lin once revealed . "That's when it happened. I don't know … that game, I ended up playing terrible and getting a couple of charges and doing real out-of-character stuff. My teammate told my coaches [that] they were calling Jeremy a c—k the whole first half. I didn't say anything, because when that stuff happens, I kind of just, I go and bottle up — where I go into turtle mode and don't say anything and just internalize everything."
Lin further revealed that apart from opponents, some coaches were also fond of using racial slurs to degrade him during games. One incident happened during a game in Vermont.
"Their coach was like, 'Hey ref! You can't let that Oriental do that!' I was like, What is going on here?" he added. "I have been called a c—k by players in front of the refs; the refs heard it, because they were yelling it, [like ,] 'Yeah, get that out, c—k!' And the ref heard it, looked at both of us and didn't do anything."
To help him cope, Lin sought professional help from psychologists. Fortunately for "Linsanity," his mental health improved, and he managed to gain the strength and courage to redeem his career.
After stints with the G-League and CBA, Lin finally found his rhythm back in Taiwan's PLG in 2023. Jeremy made history in the league after becoming the first player to record a 50-point triple-double (50 points, 11 assists, and 10 rebounds).
Later that year, Lin joined his brother, Joseph, and signed with the New Taipei Kings of the Taiwan Professional Basketball League (TPBL) championship. He won two titles with the team as well as a season MVP and Finals MVP honors. Jeremy officially retired from professional basketball this past August.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 8, 2025, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
