Jeremy Lin on Racism: 'Fighting Ignorance With Ignorance Will Get Us Nowhere'

Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports

As Jeremy Lin continues to condemn racism against Asian Americans, he says he will not expose those who have targeted him.

The NBA G League is reportedly investigating Lin's claim that he has been called "Coronavirus" while playing for the Santa Cruz Warriors. Lin said on Twitter Saturday, though, that he won't be "naming or shaming anyone," for their racism toward him.

"What good does it do in this situation for someone to be torn down?" Lin said. "It doesn't make my community safer or solve any of our long-term problems with racism.

"Fighting ignorance with ignorance will get us nowhere. Sharing our own pain by painting another group of people with stereotypes is NOT the way."

Lin, a nine-year NBA veteran who rose to fame with the New York Knicks in 2012 and is now playing for the Golden State Warriors' G-League affiliate, also shared his thoughts on how the world's survival-of-the fittest mindset leads to racism.

"The world will have you believe that there isn't enough justice or opportunities to go around," Lin said. "That we only have time to pay attention to one people group at a time so we all need to fight for that spot. That the people you see hurting other people that look like you on the news represent an entire group of people. But this just isn't true."

Lin specifically mentioned the racism he experienced while playing at Harvard, and said it was his then-assistant coach Kenny Blakeney—now the head coach at Howard University—who helped him through it.

"He shared with me his own experiences as a Black man — stories of racism I couldn't begin to comprehend," Lin said. "Stories including being called the n-word and having things thrown at him from cars. 

"He drew from his experiences with identity to teach me how to stay strong in mine. He was also the first person to tell me I was an NBA player as a sophomore at Harvard. I thought he was crazy."

According to the Associated Press, bigotry towards Asian Americans has grown during the COVID-19 global pandemic, including an increase in hate crimes, after the disease originated in the Wuhan province of China.

Stop AAPI Hate, a coalition of Asian American advocacy groups, issued a report in August indicating it received more than 2,500 reports of racism and discrimination towards Asian Americans nationwide since the group formed in March. Out of the incidents that Stop AAPI Hate categorized, 70.6% involved verbal harassment/name calling.

Lin believes the way to help Asians experiencing racism starts with listening to them and supporting their culture.

"Look for the Asian American groups that are experiencing poverty but getting overlooked," Lin said. "Support the Asian American movie or TV show that gives real opportunity to tell different stories.

"Listen to the voices that are teaching us how to be anti-racist towards ALL people. Hear other stories, expand your perspective. I believe this generation can be different. But we will need empathy and solidarity to get us there."