Jeremy Lin Responds To Kenyon Martin Saying He "Wants To Be Black"

BYKyle Rooney28.7K Views
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"You wanna be black. Like, we get it."

Brooklyn Nets point guard Jeremy Lin has dreadlocks, and he wants to know what you think of them. The 29-year old guard, who recently wrote an article for The Player's Tribune regarding his latest hairstyle, was called out today by Kenyon Martin.

In the video posted to K-Mart's official IG account, the former Nets forward says,

"Do I need to remind this damn boy his last name Lin?" Martin said (h/t Nets Daily). "Like, come on, man. Let's stop it with these people. There is no way possible he would've made it on one of our teams with that bulls--t on his head. Come on man, somebody need to tell him, like, 'alright bro, we get it. You wanna be black.' Like, we get it. But your last name is Lin.'"

Kenyon then shared another video after receiving some criticism for his comments.

"That man grown, that man can rock whatever hair style he want to rock," said Martin. "... That don't mean I have to like it or agree with it."

Lin recently shared an article he wrote for The Player's Tribune titled, "So... About My Hair" in which he spoke about his decision to get dreadlocks and how he discussed the move with several people, from teammates to Nets staffers, because he was worried about appropriating black culture. Lin begins the piece by saying he wants to hear what people think of his dreadlocks, and later reiterated that he truly wants to hear what people have to say.

After listening to Kenyon Martin's take, Lin dropped a comment on his IG page (H/T ESPN),

"Hey man, it's all good. You definitely don't have to like my hair and (are) definitely entitled to your opinion," Lin wrote. "Actually I (am) legit grateful (for) you sharin it (to be honest). At the end of the day, I appreciate that I have dreads and you have Chinese tattoos (because) I think its a sign of respect. And I think as minorities, the more that we appreciate each other's cultures, the more we influence mainstream society. Thanks for everything you did for the Nets and hoops ... had your poster up on my wall growin up."

Check out Kenyon's videos below.

Jeremy Lin Responds To Kenyon Martin Saying He "Wants To Be Black"
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