A Post On The Hornets’ Official Website Described Jeremy Lin Fans As ‘Oriental’

Remember Linsanity? Most NBA fans certainly do. Remember when a clueless ESPN editor used the phrase “Chink In The Armor” in a headline about the league’s Asian-American sensation? Even if you don’t, it’s surely easy to understand the uproar behind such a horribly offensive misstep from the Worldwide Leader.

Not that another major media outlet learned from that mistake.

On Saturday morning, veteran NBA blogger Alex Wong – perhaps better known by his twitter handle, @steven_lebron – noticed a post on the Charlotte Hornets’ official league website that described fans of Jeremy Lin as “Oriental.”

Approximately one hour after Wong emailed the league office to notify it of this insensitive remark, the offending passage had been amended. There’s currently no reference, thoughtless or otherwise, to the race of Lin’s followers in the article – which remains live on Charlotte’s team page, by the way.

In 2009, New York Governor David Paterson signed a bill into law that banned “Oriental” from being used in state documents to describe people of Asian descent. According to The New York Times, the term was supplanted by others in government practices over three decades earlier.

“Oriental” was commonly and unobtrusively used as a moniker for Asians until the late 1960s and early 1970s. As opposition to the Vietnam War grew domestically, though, it became apparent that many Americans had begun to use the word as a pejorative. It’s been broadly accepted as politically incorrect – at the very least, mind you – ever since.

And needless to say, that “Oriental” would appear anywhere on the website of a professional sports league that prides itself on being more globalized and progressive than any other is extremely disappointing.