Jeremy Lin addresses Kim Kardashian dating rumours from Linsanity era

Jeremy Lin discusses long-running Kim Kardashian dating rumours from height of Linsanity phenomenon

Former NBA player Jeremy Lin has addressed long-standing rumours linking him to Kim Kardashian during the height of the “Linsanity” phenomenon in 2012.

Speaking on a recent episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Lin reflected on the speculation that emerged while he was playing for the New York Knicks and rapidly becoming one of the NBA’s most talked-about players.

Host Pablo Torre referenced headlines from the period suggesting Kardashian was interested in dating Lin. During the discussion, archival footage was revisited showing Lin responding to questions about the rumours at the time.

In the clip, Lin described stories connecting him to Kardashian as one of the stranger aspects of his sudden rise to fame, saying, “Stuff about me dating Kim Kardashian. I don't know where that came from, and all these other rumors.”

When asked in the archival interview whether he considered himself Kardashian’s type, Lin responded with a laugh, “No, I don't think I'm that type.”

Discussing the origins of the speculation, Lin shared what he said had been relayed to him after the rumours surfaced. He stressed that he could not verify whether the account was accurate.

“So this is what I've heard and I don't know if it's true or not... That request did come into the Knicks and it is a real request,” Lin said.

According to Lin, he was told Kardashian was seeking a New York-based athlete to appear on one of her television programmes at the time. He suggested the request may have been connected to a reality series being filmed during that period.

“This is what was told to me afterwards,” he added. “The request came into the Knicks and they immediately declined it without even asking because they were like, we're not allowing our young, second-year player to go down this route right now.”

Torre responded by recalling how protective the Knicks organisation was during the peak of Linsanity, noting that media access to Lin was tightly controlled.

Today, both figures have moved on from that period.

Kardashian is currently reported to be dating Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton, while Lin revealed in 2023 that he had married his long-term partner and welcomed a son.