Celebrity
Jeremy Lin Says Kim Kardashian Tried to Meet Him at Peak ‘Linsanity’ and Confirms His Name Was on Her Radar
Jeremy Lin confirms Kim Kardashian tried to date him during 2012 “Linsanity.”
The absolute pandemonium of the 2012 “Linsanity” phenomenon captivated the entire sporting universe, and it turns out Hollywood’s biggest reality queen wanted a piece of the action. Retired New York Knicks legend Jeremy Lin recently verified a long-whispered tabloid rumor, confirming that Kim Kardashian actively tried to initiate a romantic relationship during his meteoric rise to fame.
Speaking on the June 9 episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Lin shed light on the jaw-dropping backchannel corporate maneuvering. One day, a formal solicitation landed squarely on the desks of his basketball franchise’s front office. “That request did come in to the Knicks, and that is a real request,” Lin, 37, disclosed on the program. He explained that Kardashian, who is now 45, was busy producing her signature television franchise—likely Keeping Up With the Kardashians or Kourtney & Kim Take New York—and desperately desired a high-profile local athlete to feature on the broadcast.
However, team executives immediately stepped in to shield their breakout point guard. Upper management flatly denied the entertainment mogul access without even consulting their rising star. Lin recalled being told later that management announced, “We’re not allowing our young second-year player to go down this route right now.” Podcast host Pablo Torre validated just how locked down the situation was, revealing that team publicists wouldn’t even let him secure an interview with the athlete at Madison Square Garden.
The media frenzy surrounding the rumored coupling grew so intense that television journalist Rachel Nichols openly grilled the guard on ESPN. When she asked, “You don’t think you’re the Kim Kardashian type?” Lin chuckled and replied, “No, I don’t think I’m that type.” He similarly shot down the speculation on Good Morning America, though he found the surge in attention deeply unsettling. After migrating from his sibling’s couch into a 35th-floor Manhattan penthouse, Lin had to peek out his window to trace which paparazzi vehicles were trailing him. Fanatical devotees even left undergarments at his parents’ house or lurked directly in the foliage, while luxury car corporations tried to hand him complimentary BMW vehicles for autographs.
Fortunately, both icons have comfortably settled into fresh chapters. Lin privately wed in 2021 and celebrated the arrival of his firstborn on Instagram. Meanwhile, Kardashian finalized her contentious 2022 split from Kanye West, with whom she shares four children: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm. She has officially transitioned into a totally different athletic arena, spending her weekends tracking the Monaco Grand Prix speedways to support her current flame, Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton.
