J.R. Smith denies suggestion he was racist towards Lin

J.R. Smith took to Twitter on Wednesday to combat a suggestion that he was among a group of New York Knicks in 2012 that didn't accept teammate Jeremy Lin based on his ethnicity.

"I went to the ESPYs to support him when all of Lin-sanity was going on," the Cleveland Cavaliers guard added. "Stood up for him when other players knocked him down. Don't ever in your life try and play me as racist. For someone who grew up where I did I know a little thing about it and it's never OK!"

The controversy started after Lin, now with the Brooklyn Nets, appeared on CBS New York's "Boomer and Carton" show Wednesday. Co-host Craig Carton framed a question to Lin regarding his Knicks tenure in 2012, citing then-teammate Smith as someone who acted prejudicially toward the Asian-American point guard.

"It's my thought," Carton said, "that's there's a racial component that because you're a Chinese-American player, that certain African-American players in your locker room - J.R. Smith being one of them - did not want to accept you as a ballplayer. Did you ever feel that?"

Lin didn't agree that Smith had singled him out, but added that race has been an aspect he's faced his entire basketball career.

"It's all speculation," Lin replied. "I've never spoken to J.R. about it, I've never spoken to who else you might think about it. The one thing I will say is that race has been a huge part of my journey ever since I was a child trying to play basketball. So, I do think there was always that type of component involved but again as I've always said, it's a double-edged sword."