Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. caused a stir earlier this week when he said all the hype surrounding Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin was because he was Asian, but there are some that agree with him and NBA player is speaking out…
76ers forward Andre Iguodala said Wednesday there was some merit to Mayweather’s claim.
“Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he’s Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don’t get the same praise,” Mayweather wrote.
Iguodala agreed Lin’s race — he is the first Asian-American to start an NBA game — has factored in the attention he is receiving, but did not want to detract from what the former Harvard star was achieving on the court.
“When you see the majority doing it you say, ‘Ah, he’s been doing it since he was a kid. It’s in his blood, whatever,'” Iguodala told the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“You see [Lin] doing it and you say, ‘You’re serious?’ It’s kind of like seeing a black hockey player doing well.
“Race does play a role in it but at the same time you have to respect it, that’s how I feel. You have to respect it whether you like it or not. It’s a feel-good story.”
Lin hit a game-winning three with less than a second on the clock against the Raptors Tuesday to guide the Knicks to a sixth straight win — and send Linsanity into overdrive.
His No. 17 jersey has become the league’s top seller, while Madison Square Garden Co.’s share price has soared to an all-time high.
Iguodala said the interesting thing will be seeing if Lin can maintain his success long-term.
“He’s only six games in the league. Game 30, game 40, that’s where you can kind of see where a guy’s at,” he said.
