It was 2017. The NBA offseason was winding down, and Jeremy Lin—then a guard for the Brooklyn Nets—decided to show up to camp with a full head of dreadlocks.
Social media, as it usually does, caught fire immediately. But the real explosion didn't happen until Kenyon Martin, the former All-Star who once played for the same Nets franchise, decided to hop on Instagram and air his grievances. He didn't just dislike the hair. He made it personal.
"Do I need to remind this damn boy his last name is Lin?" Martin asked his followers in a video that feels like a time capsule of 2010s internet beef. He went on to say Lin wanted to "be black" and that such a thing never would have flown in "our" locker rooms.
It felt like a car crash you couldn't look away from. Most people expected a typical athlete Twitter war. Instead, we got a masterclass in conflict resolution that basically changed the way we talk about cultural appropriation in sports.
The Response That Silenced the Room
Jeremy Lin didn't fire back with insults. He didn't call Martin a "has-been" or tell him to mind his own business. Honestly, his response was kinda jarring in its politeness.
He commented directly on Martin’s post, saying he was "legit grateful" for the feedback. He then pointed out something most people hadn't noticed: Kenyon Martin has Chinese character tattoos on his arm.
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Lin’s argument was simple: "At the end of the day, I appreciate that I have dreads and you have Chinese tattoos because I think it’s a sign of respect." He framed the whole thing as two minorities appreciating each other’s cultures rather than stealing from them.
It was a total "checkmate" move, but done with so much grace it made Martin look like the only one losing his cool. Lin even mentioned he had Martin’s poster on his wall as a kid. You can’t really keep screaming at a guy who just told you that you were his childhood hero.
Why the "Players’ Tribune" Piece Changed the Narrative
Before the Martin video even dropped, Lin had actually written a massive essay for The Players’ Tribune titled "So... About My Hair." He knew the backlash was coming. He wasn't just winging it.
In that piece, Lin detailed how he spent months talking to teammates and staff members about the hair. He specifically talked to Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who is Black, and who actually ended up getting dreadlocks at the same time as Lin. He also consulted Savannah Hart, a Black staff member with the Nets, who told him that if his intention was to learn and respect, it could be a bridge rather than a wall.
Lin was open about his own fear. He wrote:
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"I’ll be honest: At first I didn’t see the connection between my own hair and cultural appropriation... But as an Asian-American, I do know something about cultural appropriation. I know what it feels like when people get my culture wrong."
He wasn't claiming he had the right to the style. He was admitting he was "probably wrong" and invited the conversation. That's a level of vulnerability you almost never see from a pro athlete at the height of their career.
The Aftermath: From Beef to Brotherhood
A lot of people forget what happened after the initial headlines faded. Kenyon Martin eventually walked the comments back. He went on TMZ and Sports Illustrated to clarify that it was meant to be "locker room banter" that got out of hand.
He admitted his wording was bad. He even apologized to Lin personally.
The most interesting part? When Jeremy Lin suffered a season-ending knee injury just a few weeks later in the 2017-18 season opener, Kenyon Martin was one of the people who reached out to check on him.
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They weren't enemies. They were two guys from different generations of the league who had a very public disagreement about where the lines of culture are drawn.
Why This Still Matters for Fans Today
We still see these debates every single day. Whether it's a celebrity's outfit or a brand's marketing, the "Jeremy Lin and Kenyon Martin" exchange is the blueprint for how to handle it.
Lin showed that you don't have to be defensive when someone accuses you of appropriation. You can listen. You can explain your "why."
Meanwhile, the situation exposed a double standard that often gets ignored. If a non-Asian athlete has Chinese characters tattooed on them (like Martin’s "患得患失" tattoo, which roughly means "worrying about gains and losses"), is that appropriation? Or is it appreciation? Lin’s point was that as long as there is respect and a willingness to talk, it moves society forward.
Key takeaways from the Jeremy Lin and Kenyon Martin exchange:
- Intention isn't everything, but it's the start. Lin didn't just wake up and get dreads; he researched and asked for permission from the community he was borrowing from.
- Kill them with kindness is a real strategy. By refusing to get angry, Lin forced the conversation to stay on the topic of culture rather than becoming a petty playground fight.
- Cultural exchange is a two-way street. Lin's mention of Martin's tattoos reminded everyone that we are constantly "borrowing" from each other in a globalized world.
If you're ever in a situation where you're worried about crossing a cultural line, take a page out of the Lin playbook. Ask the people around you who actually live that culture. If you get called out, don't just delete the post and hide—explain your thought process and be willing to hear why it might have been hurtful.
True empathy isn't about never making a mistake; it's about what you do once the mistake is pointed out. Kenyon Martin and Jeremy Lin started as a headline about a feud, but they ended as a lesson in how to actually talk to each other.
To understand this better, look into the concept of Cultural Appreciation vs. Appropriation through the lens of sociologists like Dr. Adrienne Keene or authors who specialize in the Asian-American experience. Seeing how these dynamics play out in 2026 compared to 2017 shows just how much this specific NBA moment moved the needle.