Video of Uncalled Fouls on Jeremy Lin Raises Suspicion of Racial Bias in the NBA
[Update 4-15-16 5:50 p.m. PST] The NBA Responds to Alleged Racial Bias of Jeremy Lin By Referees
As an Asian American playing basketball in the US, Jeremy Lin has experienced all sorts of racial prejudice, especially during his college years at Harvard. That’s why when he entered the NBA, he vowed to break racial stereotypes.
“I feel like Asians in general don’t get the respect that we may deserve whether it comes to sports, basketball, or whatever it might be,” Lin said in an online interview in 2011.
Five years and five NBA teams later, the undeniably talented point guard of Taiwanese descent still seems to be battling racial bias on the court.
A YouTube video posted earlier this month points out that Lin has been experiencing a ridiculous amount of unfair officiating throughout his NBA career.
In the video, Lin is seen getting hit in the face or head multiple times. Instead of the referees calling a flagrant foul, however, they only call regular fouls or at times none at all. Lin is also shown once in the video bleeding from his nose after getting hit in the face but no foul was called.
Suspecting that racial bias is somehow connected to the chronic no-calls, the video’s creator included a letter attributed to Jenny & KP Chan and directed to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver saying, “As fans of the NBA and its players, we care deeply about the quality and integrity of the game and the safety of the players… When we see dubious officiating by the NBA referees, we cannot help but question the integrity of the game at its very core.”
He also points out how referees’ officiating can be faulty: “Throughout Lin’s six years in the NBA, we have continuously witnessed Lin as the recipient of numerous hard fouls with unnecessary and excessive force by other players. In these cases, the referees either didn’t make the calls or made incorrect calls.”
“It’s disheartening to see Lin’s mistreatment by the NBA referees. As fans, we ask you to please review this matter seriously and to take action.”
While the video is making rounds in social media, the NBA has yet to officially respond.
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