Washington (AFP)
Leader Jeremy Lin, the first Asian American to win an NBA title last year with Toronto, attacked Donald Trump on Twitter who he accused of "reinforcing" racism by calling it "Covid- 19 "of Chinese virus.
"I want you to give strong support to the vulnerable people who will suffer from our mismanagement of this virus, including those who will be affected by the racism you are living with," Lin tweeted, addressing the President.
Since the health crisis caused by the coronavirus, Donald Trump has used this expression several times, the White House justifying its use because other diseases have a geographical reference in their name.
"I don't want to hear about German measles or Spanish flu, because every day the Asians I know are threatened and physically assaulted. I don't care about this history of disease names. What I do know is that this subtle anti-Chinese message only reinforces hatred towards Asians, "he added.
Born in Torrance, California to Taiwanese parents, Lin debuted in 2010 in the NBA at the Golden State Warriors, before becoming an ephemeral star in New York in 2012 with a series of individual performances as remarkable as unexpected, which earned him the nickname of "Linsanity" (insanity translating into madness, note).
He then played in Houston, the Lakers, Charlotte, Brooklyn, Atlanta and Toronto, where he was a replacement but won his first champion's ring last year.
Last summer, he decided to join the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese CBA championship, whose season has been suspended since February 1 due to the coronavirus.
© 2020 AFP