Mayweather: 'Lin hype is based on race not talent'
updated 9:38 AM EST, Tue February 14, 2012
Jeremy Lin is the first U.S.-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent, and his rise to stardom has received huge international media coverage.
Undefeated world champion boxer Floyd Mayweather, pictured center at an NBA game, has criticized the hype surrounding Lin. He said Lin's profile is based on his ethnic background rather than his ability.
The rise of Lin has attracted new fans to the NBA, with one female fan expressing her commitment to the record-breaking pointguard.
Lin's jersey has been flying off the shelves, as the 23-year-old has delighted fans in the U.S. and Asia with his performances.
Lin's biggest achievement to date was outplaying Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant in the New York Knicks' 92-85 win last week. The win extended the Knicks' winning streak to five.
Linsanity
Race not skill
New fans
Driving force
Bettering Bryant
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Boxer Floyd Mayweather claims the Jeremy Lin hype is based on the player's race
- New York Knicks' Lin has taken the NBA by storm, scoring a record amount of points
- Lin has inspired the Knicks to a five-game winning streak and outshone Kobe Bryant
- Mayweather said he was speaking up on behalf of other NBA players
(CNN) -- Jeremy Lin has taken the basketball world by storm, but boxing star Floyd Mayweather Jr. claims the hype surrounding the NBA's new sensation is based on his ethnic background rather than his talent.
Lin has had a fairytale rise to fame after inspiring the New York Knicks to a five-game winning streak and scoring a record 109 points in his first four starts for the team -- surpassing the mark previously set by Allen Iverson.
But undefeated WBC welterweight champion Mayweather has suggested the "Linsanity" sweeping America is because pointguard Lin is the first U.S.-born NBA player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent.
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"Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian," Mayweather wrote on micro-blogging website Twitter.
The NBA's breath of fresh air
"Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise."
Lin graduated from Harvard University and initially failed to get drafted into the NBA, but he was signed by the Golden State Warriors as a free agent in July 2010.
He moved to New York in December after being dropped by the Houston Rockets and outshone the legendary Kobe Bryant by scoring 38 points as the Knicks beat the Los Angeles Lakers 92-85 on Friday.
Mayweather, who will fight Puerto Rico's Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas in May before starting a 90-day jail sentence for domestic abuse, said he was speaking up for other players in the NBA.
Why Jeremy Lin's race matters
"Other countries get to support/cheer their athletes and everything is fine," the 34-year-old said. "As soon as I support black American athletes, I get criticized.
"I'm speaking my mind on behalf of other NBA players. They are programmed to be politically correct and will be penalized if they speak up."
Lin and the Knicks will attempt to extend their winning run to six games when they play the Toronto Raptors at the Air Canada Center on Tuesday.
Mayweather had hoped to finally face Manny Pacquiao in May in a fight that boxing fans have been waiting years for, but they could not agree on a date.
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