"We basically play the game and hit people at the same time"
NBA champion Jeremy Lin is demanding more safety protection in the Chinese Basketball Association after getting hospitalized.
Lin, who plays for the Beijing Ducks, suffered injuries to his ankles, knees, neck and ears in the Ducks’ semi-final 88-85 defeat to the Guangdong Southern Tigers.
The Asian American point guard tweeted that he was gutted by the defeat, which closed his first season in China.
“Frankly speaking, such a defeat is heart-breaking, it really hurts,” said Lin.
Lin revealed on China state television that injuries sustained during the match led him to hospital treatment.
“My condition isn’t very good because, as we all know, the competition is fierce for both teams,” he said.
The 31-year-old went on to explain how violent the game is played in China.
“We basically play the game and hit people at the same tim,” he said.
“I can understand if you hit and hurt your opponent by mistake, but (it is unacceptable) if you do it on purpose or the referee doesn’t protect the players.”
“We want to be safe on the court, that’s all I can say. I’ll leave the rest for you guys to discuss.”
Beijing’s stand-in coach Xie Libin said that Lin’s injuries affected the team’s final score.
“He went down so many times in each game,” Xie said.
“But you must appreciate that he is in his 30s and played in the NBA for many years.”
“He has injuries, his nose, eyes and even his ears — he couldn’t hear anything after the game.”