Jeremy Lin; Kim Kardashian
Jeremy Lin; Kim Kardashian.
Jeremy Lin opened up about his former romance rumors with Kim Kardashian on a recent episode of Pablo Torre Finds Out amid the 2026 NBA Finals
The former New York Knicks star addressed the speculation and shared details on what he knew at the time
Lin is currently married, while Kardashian is dating Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton of Ferrari
Jeremy Lin is setting the record straight about long-standing romance rumors involving Kim Kardashian.
The former New York Knicks standout, 37, addressed speculation that he and the reality star, 45, were dating at the height of "Linsanity" in February 2012 during an appearance on Pablo Torre Finds Out.
"I remember headlines, 'Kim Kardashian Wants to Date Jeremey Lin,' " host Torre recalled when speaking with his guest before cutting to a throwback montage of various media clippings that blasted the gossip.
Jeremy Lin poses for a photo before the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks during Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 8, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
Jeremy Lin poses for a photo before the game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks during Game Three of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 8, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York.
In one of the clips, Lin was seen answering a question about "the weirdest paparazzi moment" he had since the Knicks whirlwind began. He replied, "Stuff about me dating Kim Kardashian. I don't know where that came from, and all these other rumors."
The reporter in the archival video then asked him, "You don't think you're the Kim Kardashian type?" The basketball star laughed it off and confirmed, "No, I don't think I'm that type."
On the podcast, Torre said he still doesn't know "the origin story" of that rumor. Lin then attempted to explain.
"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. I think basically, she at that time was filming her show," he said, trying to remember exactly what show she could have been filming around February 2012.
Lin put forth Keeping Up With the Kardashians, as one possibility for a show that the SKIMS founder was shooting at the time. She was also filming Kourtney & Kim Take New York around that era, too.
"Whatever show was happening back then, but I know that she was looking for a New York athlete to kind of be on this show essentially," he said, still making clear that he is unsure whether the story is true.
"This is what was told to me afterwards," the former NBA star clarified. "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 confirmed how strict the New York basketball franchise was with their star player at the height of his success, sharing an experience of his own that aligned with the story Lin was telling about the protectiveness of the team.
Kim Kardashian attends Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on April 8, 2009 in New York City.
Kim Kardashian attends Detroit Pistons vs New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden on April 8, 2009 in New York City.
"They wouldn't let me interview you. That's how protective the Knicks were of you at the time," the podcast host revealed.
Currently, Kardashian is dating Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton. The All's Fair actress sparked romance rumors with the Ferrari driver in February, and most recently stepped out to support him for the Monaco Grand Prix.
Lin revealed in January 2023 that he had quietly tied the knot with his longtime partner, whose identity has remained private. A few months after getting married, the couple welcomed a son together.
A representative for Kardashian did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Lin previously told PEOPLE that he didn't always love the spotlight in an interview he gave while promoting 38 at the Garden, the HBO documentary about the player's famous season with the New York Knicks. In fact, he even said he'd omit a few scenes from the film.
"I haven't always been very comfortable with, you know, Linsanity and the spotlight," Lin admitted to PEOPLE in October 2022 while talking about the project, which features exclusive interviews with Lin and others about how his legacy has impacted the Asian American community.
Jeremy Lin #17 of the New York Knicks takes the game winning three pointer against Jose Calderon #8 of the Toronto Raptors on February 14, 2012 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Jeremy Lin #17 of the New York Knicks takes the game winning three pointer against Jose Calderon #8 of the Toronto Raptors on February 14, 2012 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Lin took the NBA by storm in 2011 and 2012 after he unexpectedly became one of the team's star players, alongside Carmelo Anthony. That era became known as "Linsanity."
The former NBA star said reliving that time wasn't easy for him, so his involvement in production was limited. "I intentionally was like, 'I don't want to know the first cut, second cut, or third cut. I just want to watch it when it's all said and done,' " he told PEOPLE.
Lin said he thought the final product was "amazing" when he first saw it, and was excited about how the film could continue to resonate with Asian Americans.
"I would want my fans to walk away remembering that this was my experience, and they got to witness it, but my story could be their story," he said.
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Most recently, Lin stepped out to support the Knicks at Game 3 of the 2026 NBA Finals. The New York team lost to the San Antonio Spurs 115-111 at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Monday, June 8, after winning the first two games in the series.
Next, the Knicks face the Spurs on Wednesday, June 10, in the best-of-seven series in pursuit of securing the NBA championship title.