I interviewed former NBA star Jeremy Lin in Taiwan in January, during which he talked about differences between U.S. and Asia basketball play and leadership. (See interview here.) Lin has been leading Taiwan’s New Taipei Kings to a successful season at home and a regional playoff berth.
Lin suffered a setback on Tuesday, however, when the Kings’ league suspended him for five games after he received blood treatment for an injury which is not allowed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Taiwan’s Central News Agency reported yesterday.
In a statement on Tuesday, the league said no prohibited substances were involved, but Lin violated the WADA rules by receiving Intravenous Laser Irradiation of Blood (ILIB), “a medical process that uses blood purification, detoxification, and biochemical laser to increase red blood cells’ cellular energy and oxygen intake,” the report said. He also faces a $4,719 fine. (Click here for the Central News Agency report.)
The Kings said in a statement the treatment aimed to “boost the injury recovery” for Lin, who has been plagued by a lingering foot injury in 2024, according to the report. The franchise said it wasn’t aware WADA didn’t permit the treatment, though it is legal, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Central News Agency said. The Kings were reported to have uploaded a YouTube video on March 7 showing Lin receiving ILIB at Taipei’s ĒSEN Clinic.
Tsai Wen-chung, director of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Taoyuan Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, said that no research has proven ILIB effective in enhancing athletes’ performance, the report said.
See related reports:
Bullish On Basketball Heroes In Asia: East Asia Super League CEO Henry Kerins
Former NBA Asia Leader Mark Fischer Joins East Asia Super League
NBA Icon Yao Ming Sees International Exchanges Helping Young Chinese Talent
@rflannerychina