Former NBA player Jeremy Lin has pledged up to $1 million to the coronavirus or COVID-19 relief efforts and stated that he has been shocked by the treatment received by some of the Asian Americans in the US.
While writing on The Players' Tribune website, the star who used to play for the New York Knicks as a guard and was known for his "Linsanity" in the 2012-13 NBA season, mentioned that he will be donating $500,000 and will also match donations up to an added $500,000.
Lin pledges donations up to $1 million for Coronavirus relief efforts
"One simple way to be the light is to support organisations doing crucial work during the crisis," Lin said in his pledge. Media in the United States have reported a surge in verbal and physical assaults on Asian-Americans following the outbreak of the virus which is believed to have originated in central China. "You know, my whole life, I've been treated a certain way because I'm Asian," said the Beijing Ducks point guard.
"During the height of 'Linsanity,' I was still the butt of many Asian jokes ... It was just words. But over the last few weeks, as the tension and anxiety in the U.S. has gone through the roof, we're seeing that there's a real darkness beneath the words. It's not just trash talking or trolling or hateful speech." Lin is back in Beijing in anticipation of the resumption of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) season, which had been suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak.
"Truth is, we have it in us to be the light, because there are already millions choosing to be the light every day," Lin wrote. "No one knows how devastating the impact of this crisis will be, but the projections aren't good. "We're going to be recovering from this for a long time. But in the process, there will be so, so many opportunities to choose light."
(With agency inputs)
