Former New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin confirmed that Kim Kardashian actively pursued a romantic date with him during the peak of the Linsanity phenomenon.
The revelation came during an episode of the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast aired on Tuesday, June 9, 2026.
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Lin, now 37, stated that the request was made during the 2011-2012 NBA season when he became an international sensation while playing for New York.
"That request did come in to the Knicks, and that is a real request," Lin said.
The reality television star was reportedly looking for a New York athlete to feature on her show at the time.
"I think basically, she at that time was filming her show — I don’t know if it’s Keeping Up With the Kardashians or whatever show was happening back then — but I know that she was looking for a New York athlete to be on this show, essentially," Lin explained.
Lin clarified that he learned about the outreach second-hand rather than directly.
"This is what was told to me afterward," he said.
The Knicks organization immediately blocked the reality star's pursuit to protect their rising player.
"The request came into the Knicks and they immediately declined it without even asking us," Lin continued.
Team management explicitly stated their desire to keep the young athlete focused on basketball rather than high-profile entertainment ventures.
"They were like, ‘We’re not allowing our young second-year player to go down this route right now,’" Lin said.
