newjerseynewsroom.com

Knick point guard Jeremy Lin followed his latest Linsane performance with two requests: that folks not be too harsh on the editor who wrote a seemingly offensive headline and that media in Taiwan not harass his family, particularly his 85-year-old grandmother.

Paparazzi have been camped outside the home of Lin Chu A Muen, the Knick point guard’s paternal grandmother. Grandma has tried to be cooperative with the enthusiastic Taiwanese press; she even released baby photos of her grandson, who she watched while Lin’s parents went to work after they moved to the United States from Taiwan.

In fact, The New York Times reported that Lin Chu and her son — Jeremy’s uncle — who live together, fled to their ancestral village of Beidou from their home in the Taipei suburbs over the weekend to escape the attention. Problem is, reporters found them there, too.

“The special request I have is for the media back in Taiwan to give (my family) space, because they can’t even go to work without being bombarded, without people following them,” Lin said at Madison Square Garden after the Knicks’ 104-97 victory over the defending NBA champ Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Lin scored 28 points while totaling14 assists, five steals and seven turnovers in the game.

“I want people to respect their privacy,” he added.

Lin’s 63-year-old uncle, Lin Chi Chung, and his mom watch the games on tape delay in the evening, even though many in Taiwan watch the sneak peeks of the games live in the morning while at work.

Lin Chu won’t watch the games unless the Knicks win because, the Times reported, she needs to “limit stress.”

Meanwhile, ESPN fired editor Anthony Federico for writing the headline "Chink in the Armor: Jeremy Lin's 9 Turnovers Cost Knicks in Streak-Stopping Loss to Hornets" in the wee hours Saturday morning after New York’s win streak was snapped by New Orleans.

"I'm so sorry that I offended people,” Federico was quoted as saying in the New York Daily News. “I'm so sorry if I offended Jeremy.”

Lin offered sympathy for the headline writer, who he said probably just made an unintentional error in judgment.

Federico told the News that, like Lin, he is an outspoken Christian and would never intentionally cause the player harm.

"My faith is my life," Federico told the News. "I'd love to tell Jeremy what happened and explain that this was an honest mistake."

ESPN also suspended Max Bretos, who said on the air that “if there is a chink in the armor, where can Lin improve his game?"

Bretos, suspended for 30 days, later posted on Twitter: "My wife is Asian, I would never intentionally say anything to disrespect her and that community.”

Lin asked for forgiveness for the pair.

“[ESPN] apologized, and so from my end, I don't care anymore," Lin said. "You have to learn to forgive, and I don't even think that was intentional."

—JOE GREENE, NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM