Basketball Officials Probing Complaint That Jeremy Lin Was Called 'Coronavirus' On Court

Basketball officials are investigating a complaint by hoops star Jeremy Lin that he was called coronavirus as an anti-Asian slur on court.

Lin, who currently plays for the Santa Cruz Warriors in the NBAs G League, described the attack in a Facebook post Thursday in which he condemned ongoing racism against the Asian American community.

Being a 9-year NBA veteran doesnt protect me from being called coronavirus on the court, he wrote.

Verbal and physical attacks on Asian Americans have soared since Donald Trump began scapegoating China for COVID-19, repeatedly and inaccurately calling it the China virus and using the racist term kung flu .

Lin last year slammed Trumps anti-Chinese message for empowering more hate towards Asians.

The NBA G League is opening an investigation into guard Jeremy Lins statements that he has been called, Coronavirus, on the G League court, source tells @TheAthletic @Stadium. Lin is playing for Golden States affiliate, Santa Cruz.

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The NBA G League is opening an investigation into guard Jeremy Lins statements that he has been called, Coronavirus, on the G League court, source tells @TheAthletic @Stadium . Lin is playing for Golden States affiliate, Santa Cruz.
Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 27, 2021

Lin didnt provide details in the post about where the name-calling occurred. He has been playing in the Orlando, Florida, bubble for his team, ESPN noted .

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said that hed like to see the NBA investigate Lins complaint.

Kerr called the Facebook post really powerful. I applaud Jeremy for his words and echo his sentiments regarding racism against the Asian American community, he added.

Its just so ridiculous and obviously spawned by many people, including our former president, as it relates to the coronavirus originating in China. Its just shocking, said Kerr.

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Steve Kerr responds to Jeremy Lins social media post about the racism he and the other Asian Americans face pic.twitter.com/2LdjPoXR5N

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Steve Kerr responds to Jeremy Lins social media post about the racism he and the other Asian Americans face pic.twitter.com/2LdjPoXR5N
Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 27, 2021

Lin broke barriers when he joined the Golden State Warriors in the 2010-11 season as the first U.S.-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, according to ESPN.

There were more than 1,800 racist incidents against Asian Americans reported in the U.S. in a single eight-week period from March 2020 to May 2020, according to a United Nations investigation last August.

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