Kim Kardashian's team has yet to respond, but the framing from her camp would likely emphasize that this was a routine casting inquiry tied to television production during an era when producers were constantly seeking high-profile athletes for reality programming. No romantic interest — just business.
Insiders close to Lin say he found out about Kardashian's alleged pursuit secondhand, years after the fact, and never confirmed whether it was genuine or purely a ratings play. The Knicks' decision to block it without consulting him first? That detail has NBA folks raising eyebrows — teams don't usually nix requests unless something smelled off.
On June 9, 2026, Jeremy Lin appeared on the 'Pablo Torre Finds Out' podcast and disclosed: 'That request did come in to the Knicks.' He also stated that ESPN's Rachel Nichols previously asked him directly during an interview: 'You don't think you're the Kim Kardashian type?' — prompting a dismissive laugh from Lin.
The fact that Kardashian reportedly went through official channels at Madison Square Garden makes this more than tabloid chatter. Whether it was genuine interest or reality TV scheming, someone on her team thought pairing with Linsanity-era Jeremy Lin was worth pursuing — and the Knicks weren't having it.
Jeremy Lin just dropped a bombshell about one of the most chaotic periods of his life. During an appearance on the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast released Tuesday, June 9, the former New York Knicks point guard revealed that Kim Kardashian allegedly tried to pursue him romantically during the height of Linsanity in 2012 — and the Knicks shut it down before Lin even knew about it. "That request did come in to the Knicks, and that is a real request," Lin, now 37, told podcast host Pablo Torre.
"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 clarified he wasn't able to independently verify the story: "This is what was told to me afterward." Here's where it gets juicier.
The Knicks didn't just decline the request — they did it without consulting their second-year player at all. "The request came into the Knicks and they immediately declined it without even asking us," Lin explained. "They were like, 'We're not allowing our young second-year player to go down this route right now.'" The organization was clearly worried about distractions derailing a historic run, but the fact that they made this call unilaterally tells you everything about how protective the team was of their accidental superstar.
The rumors about a potential Kardashian-Lin connection were apparently so persistent at the time that ESPN's Rachel Nichols brought it up during an interview. "You don't think you're the Kim Kardashian type?" Nichols, 52, asked him point-blank. Lin laughed and replied: "No, I don't think I'm that type." The exchange has aged remarkably well given what we now know about how close this allegedly came to happening — or at least being manufactured for television purposes.
Torre, who was also covering basketball during Linsanity, revealed he personally experienced the Knicks' protective stance. "They wouldn't let me interview you," Torre told Lin during the podcast. "That's how protective the Knicks were of you at that time." When Torre asked Lin to recall the most "scary" aspect of his sudden fame — which included moving from his brother's couch into a Manhattan penthouse — the details paint a picture of someone trapped by their own success.
"The paparazzi and the fans and everything were so crazy, I couldn't really leave unless it was midnight or something," Lin said. "I'd sneak out, go out the back entrance... I would always look out the window and just see which cars were down there by the lobby, [asking myself], 'Can I leave right now or will I be followed?'" Us Weekly has reached out to Kardashian for comment.
Whether this was genuine romantic interest from one of America's most famous women or simply another plotline for "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," the fact that it went through official MSG channels suggests someone on her team took this seriously. The Knicks, for their part, apparently saw it as a threat to their season — and maybe they were right. Linsanity was fragile enough without a media circus attached to one of its central figures.
