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What Had Happened Was: 5/11/17

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    Brooklyn Nets v Detroit Pistons
    Jeremy Lin #7 of the Brooklyn Nets reacts to a one point loss to the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills on March 30, 2017 in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
    Rhiannon Walker By @InstantRHIplay

    GAME. BLOUSES.

    When an ESPN editor wrote the “c—k in the armor” headline to describe an off outing by then-New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin, the first American-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, in 2012, that was only one of the many times Lin has been called the racial slur during his basketball career.

    On Wednesday, Lin sat down with Nets teammate Randy Foye on the latter’s Outside Shot with Randy Foye podcast to discuss the racism he faced at his alma mater, Harvard, from 2006 to 2010:

    “The worst was at Cornell, when I was being called a c—k,” the Brooklyn Nets point guard said. “That’s when it happened. I don’t know … that game, I ended up playing terrible and getting a couple of charges and doing real out-of-character stuff. My teammate told my coaches [that] they were calling Jeremy a c—k the whole first half. I didn’t say anything, because when that stuff happens, I kind of just, I go and bottle up — where I go into turtle mode and don’t say anything and just internalize everything.”

    Fans at Georgetown also made the list of places where Lin experienced racial slurs, with a fan yelling out, “Chicken fried rice,” “Beef lo mein” and “Beef and broccoli.” While visiting Yale, Lin was teased about his eyes.

    “They were like, ‘Hey! Can you even see the scoreboard with those eyes?’ ” Lin recalled.

    Then there was the time someone called him “Oriental”:

    “In Vermont — I remember, because I had my hands up while the Vermont player was shooting free throws — their coach was like, ‘Hey, ref! You can’t let that Oriental do that!’ I was like, what is going on here? I have been called a c—k by players in front of the refs; the refs heard it, because they were yelling it [like,] ‘Yeah, get that out, c—k!’ And the ref heard it, looked at both of us and didn’t do anything.

    “It’s crazy. My teammate started yelling at the ref, ‘You just heard it, it was impossible for you not to hear that. How could you not do something?’ And the ref just pretended like nothing happened. That was when I was like, yo, this [kind of racism and prejudice] is a beast. So when I got to the NBA, I thought this is going to be way worse. But it is way better. Everybody is way more under control.”

    BLESSINGS

    SOCIAL STATUS

    FOR THE CULTURE

    Neo-Nazi leader orders white supremacists to harass American University’s first black female student body president.

    A swastika was found on a mural representing Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority at the University of Iowa.

    Fourteen-year-old to graduate from Texas Christian University with physics degree as 11-year-old brother prepares to start at the same university.

    West Virginia police officer sues after being fired for not shooting black man.

    Jordan Edwards’ father sues police officer for killing his son.

    TOP THREE (bow wow challenge) TWEETS

    1. I CAN TAKE YOU ALL AROUND THE WORLD

    2. YOU WAS JUST FRONTIN’

    3. OUT THE PASSENGER SIDE

    ICYMI

    PICTURE-PERFECT

    Rhiannon Walker is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a drinker of Sassy Cow Creamery chocolate milk, an owner of an extensive Disney VHS collection, and she might have a heart attack if Frank Ocean doesn't drop his second album.

    This Story Tagged: Brooklyn Nets NBA What Had Happened Was Race Jeremy Lin