Former NBA star Jeremy Lin has officially confirmed that Kim Kardashian attempted to date him during the peak of his 2012 “Linsanity” run. Speaking on a recent episode of the Pablo Torre Finds Out podcast, Lin revealed that Kardashian’s team formally reached out to the New York Knicks organization looking for a New York-based athlete to feature on her reality television show.
Key Details:
- Kim Kardashian’s representatives contacted the New York Knicks directly to arrange a date.
- The reality star was specifically looking for a high-profile New York athlete for television purposes.
- The Knicks organization immediately rejected the proposal without consulting Lin.
- Lin originally laughed off the media speculation in 2012, telling ESPN he wasn’t “that type.”
The revelation provides official closure to a 14-year-old pop-culture mystery. During the 2011-2012 NBA season, the undrafted Harvard graduate unexpectedly led a highly publicized winning streak for the Knicks. Gossip columns at the time falsely reported that Kardashian was orchestrating a date with Lin behind the scenes. Kardashian ultimately went public with her relationship with Kanye West just one month later.
Lin detailed the exact sequence of events, explaining that the Knicks were highly protective of his public image at the time. According to a detailed podcast breakdown, Lin stated the team aggressively blocked the reality television request. The front office reportedly told Kardashian’s team they were “not allowing our young, second-year player to go down this route right now.”
The team’s protective stance made sense given the intense media frenzy already surrounding the Madison Square Garden locker room. Lin was navigating global attention, and team executives prioritized his athletic development over celebrity crossovers. This front-office decision effectively killed the television crossover before Lin even knew it was a possibility.
Multiple media outlets, including Us Weekly, have now formally reached out to Kim Kardashian’s representatives for a response regarding the Knicks’ rejection. Representatives for Kardashian have not yet issued a public comment on the podcast quotes.