National Basketball Association

Brooklyn Nets: J.R. Smith Denies Being Racist Toward Jeremy Lin

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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J.R. Smith and Jeremy Lin spent time together with the New York Knicks during the “Linsanity” era, and the reigning NBA champion was accused of being racist to the newest member of the Brooklyn Nets.

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The initial accusation came during a Boomer and Carton show on WFAN Wednesday. Jeremy Lin made an appearance on the show and was asked if he had ever received hostile treatment in the Knicks’ locker room because of his Asian heritage–and, for some reason, co-host Craig Carton picked on Smith.

While he never came out and said that Smith was racist, he never denied it. According to Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily, Lin has “never spoken to J.R. about [racism].”

He continued with this:

So, I do think there was always that type of component involved but again as I’ve always said, it’s a double-edged sword. It comes with the good it comes with the bad. Yeah, sometimes I’m different… I look different and I’m treated different and that’s a negative thing, and in some ways that’s a really positive thing. Like, Linsanity wouldn’t have happened if I was white, or black, or whatever. Part of the reason why it was so crazy is because I’m Asian. I think race plays a part into it, always has, and to what degree or how much to who felt what, I can’t specifically answer.

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Smith got wind of this and took to Twitter to vent and shut down any notion of him being racist.

I never want to entertain this topic but whoever said i am or was racist to @JLin7 because he was Asian is wrong on so many levels!

— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) October 19, 2016

I went to the #ESPYS to support him when all of Lin-sanity was going on stood up for him when other players knocked him down

— JR Smith (@TheRealJRSmith) October 19, 2016

Notice that “knock him down” comment. Take it with a grain of salt as to who he’s referring, but Lin has endured some racial hardships during his tenure in the league.

Being a Chinese-American NBA player puts him in the minority, but his background has done nothing but great things for the NBA. In essence, he’s another version of Yao Ming. Fans see the success that he’s having at the highest level and it helps the league’s globalization efforts.

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