Aside from his skills on the court, former National Basketball Association (NBA) champion and celebrity Jeremy Lin appears to have another talent worthy of mention.
He has earned praise from local competitive eater Zermatt Neo for his impressive speed during an eating challenge.
In an Instagram video posted on Monday (June 29), the two dived into a 1v1 burger challenge as they each chowed down on a cheeseburger from BurgerLabo.
In the 75-second video, Jeremy, who is American and turns 38 in August, sported a blue NBA Rising Stars Invitational T-shirt and a black cap, while Zermatt, seated beside him, kept it casual in a plain white T-shirt.
“I’m a pretty fast eater,” Jeremy quipped. “Not at your level, but I’m gonna try today.”
Zermatt emerged victorious, finishing his burger in around 32 seconds, while Jeremy followed close behind at 47 seconds.
Despite the loss, Jeremy earned Zermatt’s praise, with the latter calling him one of the fastest non-competitive eaters he has ever seen.
@jlin7 1v1 Burger Challenge! Retired bball player vs pro eater Fun times in Singapore! @Zermatt Neo ♬ original sound – Jeremy Lin
NBA Rising Stars Invitational
Jeremy was in Singapore last week for the NBA Rising Stars Invitational, the league’s high-school basketball tournament featuring 12 boys teams and 12 girls teams from across Asia-Pacific held from June 23 to 28 at OCBC Arena.
Alongside former NBA champions Mitch Richmond and Lauren Jackson, he took part in a basketball clinic on Sunday morning before spectating the finals in the afternoon.
In the boys’ division, Singapore was represented by Hwa Chong Institution and the Institute of Technical Education, while the girls’ division saw Hwa Chong Institution and Nanyang Polytechnic take part.
Rookie K-pop boy group LNGSHOT were the headline performers on the final day of the event and engaged with participants on the court and took part in outreach activities.
The winners of the tournament were Seika Girls’ High School of Japan and South Korea’s Kyungbock High School.
Continue doing what you did
Jeremy, who sparked a cultural phenomenon known as “Linsanity” in 2012, is the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, and is one of the few Asian Americans to have played in the league.
He announced his retirement from competitive basketball in August 2025 and recently joined ESPN as a NBA studio analyst for the finals.
In a media interview after the clinic, he shared with local media, including AsiaOne, about his time in Singapore and offered words of advice for aspiring Asian athletes.
Diving into the qualities of a professional basketball player, Jeremy highlighted footwork and decision-making as key traits.
While acknowledging the importance of skill, he said one of the most underrated yet crucial aspects of the game is an athlete’s footwork and balance, which allows them to maintain a good base and move efficiently.
He added that players make hundreds of decisions in each game, with success often coming down to their ability to understand the game and make the right calls.
“People talk a lot about how high you can jump, how far you can shoot, but the people that make it to the top, they have that, and they also have really good decision-making,” he said.
When asked if he had any advice for young players, Jeremy quickly pointed out that the “biggest thing is just to go for it”.
He encouraged them to not be afraid, not doubt themselves and not be intimidated by opponents, adding that “whatever you were doing to get here is what you need to continue to do”.
Don’t expect the journey to be fair
On dealing with discrimination and prejudice in the NBA, Jeremy candidly pointed out: Don’t expect the journey to be fair.
He said: “The reality is that if you’re even with the people around you, you won’t get chosen. If you’re a little bit better than the people around you, you still won’t get chosen.
“To be an Asian and to succeed, you have to be a big step in front of your competition for you to get the opportunity and respect.
“As long as you go on with that mindset of ‘don’t expect things to be fair but still believe that you can get it done’… that’s just the mentality that any minority who doesn’t look the part will have to have.”
Shifting the conversation to local delights and scenery, Jeremy said that he had plans to have chilli crab later that day.
He added he also visited a hawker centre with Zermatt, where they sampled a variety of local dishes, but had not had the chance to go sightseeing.
He also revealed that he would be in Taiwan on July 2 and 3, although he did not reveal what he would be there for.
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esther.lam@asiaone.com
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