Canadian superstar Simu Liu and NBA champion Jeremy Lin have teamed up with the Canadian Chinese Youth Athletic Association to host a celebrity basketball game on Saturday at the University of Toronto’s Goldring Centre.
The event brought together more than 20 celebrities, athletes and personalities from the North American Asian community. His goal was to raise money for the Jeremy Lin Foundation and the new CCYAA Community Center.
Liu is probably best known for his role as Shang-Chi in the 2021 Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and as Jung Kim on CBC Kim’s Convenience. Lin is a former NBA player and the first Asian American to win the NBA championship, which he did with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.
The two joined forces at the event to promote athletics and art to Asian youth in Toronto.
“We are all united in this common goal of celebrating our successes across all media and playing this game to support philanthropy and charity,” Liu said in a media interview.
“Many communities have not been properly represented in the media, and I think we cannot underestimate how much the media affects our perceptions.”
CCYAA board member Carli Yim said the organization’s goal is to promote sport and a healthy lifestyle among young Asians. It seeks to balance the importance of being healthy and staying active with other goals like education and wellness.
A portion of the money raised will go to CCYAA’s community center for an inclusive space for young Asians where they can participate in sports and the arts without barriers.
“We aim to provide accessible programming. That’s where some of the funds will go,” she said.
“Resilience, perseverance, confidence”
Speaking to the media, Lin spoke about the life lessons he learned through basketball and how he hopes to see young people learn those lessons and break down barriers.
“It taught me about communication, leadership, teamwork, resilience, perseverance, confidence,” he said. “
Lin added that he grew up in a world where being an Asian actor or athlete was “out of the realm of possibility.” He hopes future Asian athletes will have a chance to be themselves in their fields and not be compared to the handful of predecessors before them – like him or NBA Hall of Famer Yao Ming.
“Eventually you won’t be the token Asian anymore, and that’s a big part of creating opportunity for the next generation,” Lin said.
The Jeremy Lin Foundation, established in 2011, has done a variety of work, including donating to COVID-19 relief efforts and helping to raise awareness of the rise in anti-Asian racism during the pandemic.
Its mission is to support interracial youth through community empowerment and narrative change programs.
“Gamer. Introvert. Problem solver. Creator. Thinker. Lifelong food evangelist. Alcohol advocate.”