Pablo Torre and Mina Kimes, two of the most visible and respected voices in sports journalism, made an emotional plea on Wednesday’s Around the Horn, denouncing recent violence against Asian Americans including the Atlanta spa shootings earlier this week. Six of the eight victims in Atlanta were of Asian descent.
“It’s just the latest step in a horrifying year that has been defined for Asian Americans by hate crimes, racist abuse and bigotry,” said Torre, who is Filipino. “A lot of Asian Americans feel unsafe.”
Host Tony Reali noted that hate crimes against Asian Americans have increased by 150 percent in the last year, largely as a result of COVID-19, which began in China before spreading worldwide. Former Knicks and Rockets star Jeremy Lin, now of the G League’s Santa Cruz Warriors, revealed he’s been the subject of racist taunts from opponents including one who called him “coronavirus” in mockery of his Chinese heritage.
“Your words matter. Your acknowledgment that this is happening matters,” said Kimes, imploring political leaders to use their platform to stop hate crimes against Asian Americans. “Your support for the Asian community, my community, it matters a great deal, especially at a time like this.”
Portland Trail Blazers star CJ McCollum, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr and former Baltimore Ravens receiver Torrey Smith each voiced their support for Asian Americans following Tuesday’s tragedy in Atlanta, with the latter two employing the Twitter hashtag #StopAsianHate. The Seattle Seahawks expressed a similar sentiment, strongly condemning the events in Atlanta while urging others to do their part in the fight against “racially-motivated” hate and intolerance. Seattle’s Asian community, which constitutes roughly 14 percent of the city’s population, is among the country’s highest.
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