Is Jeremy Lin getting the Colin Kaepernick treatment?

Actor and activist Olivia Munn compares free agent’s lack of contract to exiled NFL star’s continued absence from league
‘Linsanity’ star raises possibility that his Asian-American activism could be hurting his chances of an NBA return

Jonathan White

Published: 10:23am, 24 Apr 2021

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Earlier this week Jeremy Lin was asked whether he would play in Europe and he intimated that he had unfinished business in Asia.

He had already said as much when he promised Beijing Ducks fans he would return one day.

First of all, he has unfinished business in the NBA and a little over three weeks for his dream of a return to the league this season to be realised.

As of now, he has not been signed by any of the 30 NBA teams despite impressing in the G League.

The question is why?

Is the 11-year pro and nine-year NBA veteran too expensive? NBA minimum contracts means that he would cost a team more than signing a younger unproven talent.

Jeremy Lin ‘unapologetic’ if Asian-American activism costs him NBA spot

But that’s discounting the NBA reimbursing teams for signing vets so their one-year minimum contracts only cost the same as a player with two years experience.

Is his injury record still going against him? That was a valid concern for signing him before the season started but he proved that he can cope with an intense schedule in the G League.

While he missed several games as a precaution he is not going to be a starter on an NBA team and his minutes will be managed.

Or is it that he is too outspoken? That is the elephant in the room, that Lin’s activism could be costing him his chance of a contract. Lin addressed it head on in a round table discussion on Thursday with some other prominent Asian Americans.

“I’m going to be honest. In the situation that I’m in right now trying to get back to the NBA, it’s like, do I talk about this?

“Do I talk about this activism stuff because it’s seen as a distraction and it’s like people are saying, even national reporters are saying, ‘It’s hurting Jeremy’s case for getting back into the NBA by talking about this stuff.’

01:19

Jeremy Lin says he has realised his childhood dream in China

“One thing I’m trying to learn as I get older is I gotta be more unapologetic and just be who I need to be and say what I need to say.”

The NBA free agent was in esteemed company, appearing alongside Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu, Fresh Off The Boat creator Eddie Huang actors Ken Jeong and Olivia Munn, Fox Business correspondent Susan Li and Charles Yu, the author of Interior Chinatown, as they discussed racism and the rise of attacks on Asian-Americans in the US.

Lin was the only professional athlete on the panel of Asian Americans, as has so long been the case.

Fellow panellist Munn made a pertinent point as the panel wrapped up, comparing Lin to NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, which others have done on social media.

“When you look at Colin Kaepernick, it did cost him his career and that’s so unfair because we all want to stand for something more and we all want to use our platform to do something more,” said the actor and activist.

“But it doesn’t mean we don’t have our own dream and that we shouldn’t try to be as successful as we can and be seen as something more than just being an activist or more than being the Asian basketball player or more than being Colin Kaepernick, the guy who created this huge movement.

Jeremy Lin: ‘Just need an opportunity,’ says NBA free agent

“You also want to be known as other things.”

Kaepernick began kneeling during the national anthem in 2o16 and has not played in the NFL since. Despite the NFL apologising to him last year, the chances of the 33-year-old getting a contract seem slimmer than ever as time passes. The closest he has got to an NFL return is being included in the latest Madden video game.

Similarly, the closest Lin, who will be 33 when next season starts, has got to the NBA this season is appearing in the NBA 2K21 video game.

Still, Munn advised Lin to stick at his dream of an NBA return.

“Do we abandon the thing that makes us really excited about life and that is really going to help change the world?

“You being on a court, that is so impactful. It’s impactful for you to be on this panel right now but It’s so impactful for you to be out there on the court making moves and showing people what’s possible,” she said.

NFL anthem protests: Colin Kaepernick, Black Lives Matter – what came before and what will happen next

“I would just encourage you Jeremy to not feel that your time has been called to come up and stand up right now and do this and that you have to abandon everything else because you are still you.

“You still get to be you. You don’t have to abandon everything else.”

He might not have to abandon everything else but that does not stop the NBA from abandoning him.

Right now it appears that Lin does not have a say on his NBA future if he continues to have a say on Asian-Americans.

That is not to say this is overt or even covert racism merely that teams may view Lin’s increasing media commitments as a needless distraction, for him and the team, especially if their focus is on the play-offs.

Having players, that are already signed to multimillion dollar, multi-year contracts, speak up on social issues is one thing but they may not want to sign another player to do that – the most prominent Asian-American athlete in the sport – when they could get a quiet rookie.

Jeremy Lin tells Chinese fans ‘I’ll be back some day’ after G League move confirmed

We will see come May 16 when the regular season ends if he has been signed. Three more weeks to dream and then reality.

The sad reality might just be that the NBA free agent is not free to speak his mind.