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Mayweather Slams 'Linsanity' On Twitter, Says Hype Due To Race

NEW YORK (WFAN/AP) — Not every athlete is caught up in the Linsanity.

Unbeaten boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. tweeted a swipe Monday at the Knicks' point guard sensation.

Mayweather posted on Twitter: "Jeremy Lin is a good player but all the hype is because he's Asian. Black players do what he does every night and don't get the same praise."

Lin, the NBA's first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese decent, came with little expectations after he was undrafted out of Harvard and cut by two other teams before the Knicks picked him up in December.

The unknown Lin has taken over the Big Apple. Since Feb. 4, he has led the Knicks to five straight victories, including a 38-point game against the Lakers.

Mayweather was criticized for his race comment, but the boxer wouldn't back down in a series of tweets.

"Other countries get to support/cheer their athletes and everything is fine," he tweeted later Monday. "As soon as I support Black American athletes, I get criticized."

He added in another post: "I'm speaking my mind on behalf of other NBA players. They are programmed to be politically correct and will be penalized if they speak up."

Mayweather rarely hesitates to air racially charged opinions, either in person or in social media. He has repeatedly insulted rival Manny Pacquiao, including an online video in 2010 in which he used racial and homophobic slurs against the Filipino congressman.

What do you think of Mayweather's comments? Sound off below...

(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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