Jeremy Lin has been hailed as the first Asian American ever to win an NBA title.
Now he’s one of the first NBA veterans to call an offensive foul on xenophobia against Asians from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Daily Mail reported.
The 31-year old criticized U.S. politician Kevin McCarthy who had labeled COVID-19 the “Chinese coronavirus” in a tweet on Monday.
The congressman had tweeted, “’Everything you need to know about the Chinese coronavirus can be found on one, regularly-updated website.”
Soon after, Lin replied to McCarthy’s tweet by saying, “In times of crisis we want our leaders to inform with facts and unify, rather than divide. The comment is racist and disappointing.”
He added, “Your defense of the word usage is ignorant. There are heroes globally fighting the virus, pls dont simultaneously promote the sickness of racism.”
Lin, now a member of the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association, soon received rave support from his Chinese fans.
Hashtags of ‘Jeremy Lin angrily slams U.S. politician’ trended all over China’s popularly used social media, Weibo, according to the Daily Mail.
Applause from fans continued when the Harvard alum announced yesterday in a separate post that his foundation has donated one million yuan ($142,743) to get medical equipment to the first COVID-19 stricken province in China, Wuhan, Bleacher Report reported.
Lin wrote on the same Instagram post that he had personally donated an additional $150,000 to fight this virus.
He also shed spotlight to those making a difference.
He wrote, “I see doctors and nurses fighting the front lines in China, Korea, Japan, Iran, Italy, and more. I see people helping people in countries regardless of race or background. Talk less out of hate, more out of empathy.”
The Chinese Basketball Association has been on a Lunar New Year break, but ESPN is reporting that the league asked its American players to return as early as this weekend.
American players, including Jeremy Lin, will be placed in quarantine for 14 days upon their return to China.
The Chinese Basketball Association is reportedly planning to resume its season in early April with more positive signs of COVID-19 being contained.
But it’s not clear if the players will comply.
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