Jeremy Lin fined 10,000 Yuan by the Chinese government for ‘inappropriate remarks’ about quarantine facilities ahead of a game
Former NBA player Jeremy Lin, who’s now playing for the Chinese Basketball Association, has been fined 10,000 Yuan by the Chinese government. The $1,400 fine was due to his “inappropriate remarks about quarantine hotel-related facilities.”
Lin, the Guangzhou Loong Lions star, reportedly posted a video of himself complaining about the conditions of one of the CBA’s quarantine facilities.
JUST IN: #BNNChina Reports.
Former NBA star Jeremy Lin, who plays for a Chinese team Loong Lions Basketball Club, was fined 10,000 yuan ($1,400) on Friday for criticising the country’s quarantine facilities. #Covid #JeremyLin #NBA #Health https://t.co/KPrzS9Gtik
“Can you believe this is a weight room? What kind of garbage is this?,” Lin supposedly talked about the facility where the Lions are confined. “The Paper,” which originally reported about the existence of the video, also said that “the situation was clarified.”
The fine came during the Chinese government's crackdown on critics who have pushed back on the country’s “zero-COVID” measures. China’s stringent anti-COVID rules have forced thousands to be confined to their homes and other locations for total isolation.
The move, which has affected the country’s biggest cities, has caused an uproar among its citizens. Many have taken to the streets to protest, while others have criticized the government on a few social media platforms.
Jeremy Lin and other basketball stars who are playing in the CBA just started their season when COVID cases in China kept steadily increasing. To prevent another pandemic, a myriad of crippling anti-virus measures were re-implemented.
Representatives for Lin, Vision China Entertainment and the Guangzhou Loong Lions, weren’t available for comment based on the reported incident.
Jeremy Lin spent nine seasons in the NBA and dominated the headlines in the biggest basketball league in the world at one point. Linsanity Mania rocked pro basketball in a stretch of 12 games while Lin was playing for the New York Knicks.
Lin hails from California and is of Taiwanese-American descent. He played for eight different NBA teams. In 2019, he became the first Asian-American to win a championship when he did so with Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors.
Jeremy Lin finally got his @Raptors championship ring. 💍
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Jeremy Lin took his talents to China after his NBA career ended. He originally played for the Beijing Ducks until he signed to play for the Guangzhou Loong Lions.
Jeremy Lin is one of several former NBA players who have played or are playing in China
China has become one of the hottest locations to go to for former NBA players who still want to ply their trade. While cultural differences and language have been huge roadblocks, pay has usually been very lucrative to compensate for such inconveniences.
Former NBA journeyman Marreese Speights also played for Jeremy Lin’s current team, the Loong Lions. Some notable names who have seen action in the CBA are Lance Stephenson, O.J. Mayo, Tyler Hansbrough, Brandon Bass, Shabazz Muhammad and Ian Clark.
(THREAD)
More than just a phenomenon, @JLin7 continues to break barriers and impact lives 👏 (THREAD) https://t.co/EgohQkwHR6
Several more from the best pro basketball league in the world could also suit up in China in the coming years.
Former LA Lakers center Dwight Howard, however, took a different route to basketball in Asia and has taken Taiwan by storm. The future Hall of Famer, who has had a sizzling debut, is currently playing for the Taoyuan Leopards.