If you were scrolling Instagram back in 2017, you probably remember the absolute firestorm that kicked off when a retired NBA vet decided to voice some very loud thoughts about a current player's hair. It felt like one of those "did he really just say that?" moments that defines an entire news cycle. I'm talking about the time Kenyon Martin on Jeremy Lin became the biggest talking point in basketball, and honestly, the conversation hasn't really stopped since.
It wasn't just about sports. It was about culture, belonging, and who "owns" a look.
At the time, Jeremy Lin was playing for the Brooklyn Nets. He’d been experimenting with his style for a while—mohawks, braids, you name it. But when he showed up with dreadlocks, Kenyon Martin didn't just disagree with the fashion choice. He went for the jugular. In a now-deleted video, Martin basically accused Lin of wanting to be Black. He said, "Do I need to remind this damn boy his last name is Lin?"
He doubled down, too. He suggested that Lin would've never survived in a "real" locker room with that "bulls—" on his head. It was harsh. It was personal. And it was incredibly public.
The Response That Changed the Narrative
Most people expected Lin to fire back with the same energy. That's usually how these things go, right? Someone insults you, you insult them back, and everyone watches the train wreck.
But Jeremy Lin didn't do that.
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Instead of getting defensive or angry, Lin dropped a comment that was so level-headed it actually made Martin look a bit silly. He thanked Martin for sharing his opinion and then pointed out something that a lot of people had overlooked. He mentioned that he appreciated having dreads just as much as he appreciated Martin having Chinese tattoos.
It was the ultimate "checkmate" move.
Why the Tattoo Mention Mattered
Lin’s point was simple but deep:
- If a non-Black person wearing dreads is cultural appropriation, then what is a non-Chinese person wearing Chinese characters on their skin?
- He framed it as a sign of respect rather than theft.
- He argued that as minorities, both groups should be supporting each other rather than gatekeeping.
It was a masterclass in de-escalation. He even mentioned that he had a poster of Kenyon Martin on his wall growing up. How do you keep fighting a guy who tells you he was your fan? You can't. Not really.
Understanding the Kenyon Martin Perspective
To be fair to K-Mart, he eventually tried to walk some of it back. He did an interview with Sports Illustrated where he claimed it was never meant to be a "race thing." In his mind, it was just locker room banter. He thought he was just "roasting" a fellow athlete, the way guys do when someone shows up with a questionable fit.
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"I guess saying 'wanting to be black' made it racial," Martin admitted later. Yeah, Kenyon, that'll usually do it.
The backlash was intense. People started attacking Martin's son on social media, which is never okay. It got messy fast. Martin eventually apologized, or at least offered a version of an apology, admitting his wording was "bad" but sticking to his guns that he just didn't like the hair.
The Long-Term Impact on NBA Culture
This whole Kenyon Martin on Jeremy Lin saga actually led to some pretty important conversations about what "Linsanity" meant for Asian American representation. Lin had actually written a long piece in The Players' Tribune before the controversy even started, titled "So… About My Hair." He knew people would talk. He had actually consulted with Black teammates and staff members before getting the dreads because he wanted to make sure he wasn't being disrespectful.
He put in the work. Martin just saw a thumbnail and reacted.
There's a lesson in there about the "outrage economy" of social media. We react to the image before we read the essay. Lin had spent months thinking about the history of dreadlocks, the stigma Black people face for wearing them, and how he could honor that without mocks. Martin saw a guy with a last name "Lin" wearing a hairstyle he didn't think belonged to him.
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What We Can Learn From the Fallout
If you're ever in a situation where you feel like someone is stepping on your cultural toes, or if you're the one trying out something new, here’s how to handle it like Lin did:
- Do your homework first. Don't just adopt a cultural symbol because it looks "cool." Understand the weight behind it.
- Kill 'em with kindness. If someone attacks you, staying calm usually makes them look like the aggressor.
- Look for common ground. Lin found the connection between his hair and Martin's tattoos. He turned a "me vs. you" situation into an "us" situation.
- Dialogue over monologues. Martin posted a video at Lin. Lin started a conversation with Martin.
Honestly, they eventually settled it. Lin confirmed on a podcast later that Martin reached out and they had a "great conversation." When Lin later suffered a season-ending knee injury, Martin was actually one of the people who reached out to wish him well.
It’s a rare example of a social media beef ending in actual growth. Usually, these things just fade away into bitterness. But by choosing to see Martin's tattoos as a sign of respect rather than a double standard to be weaponized, Lin opened a door that Martin eventually walked through.
If you want to dive deeper into this, I'd suggest reading Lin's original Players' Tribune article. It’s a lot more than just "hair talk"—it’s about the complexity of being an outsider in a league where you don't always feel like you fit the mold.
Next Step: You might want to look up the "Linsanity" documentary to see the pressure Jeremy was under during his peak years, which provides a lot of context for why he felt the need to express himself so boldly later in his career.