LOS ANGELES: National Basketball Association star Jeremy Lin made a public plea Sunday for reporters in Taiwan to respect the privacy of his family members there.

Lin’s fairy-tale run, and the media storm that has accompanied it, has had an affect on those in his ancestral homelands. The U.S.-born Lin is the son of Taiwanese immigrants and his maternal grandmother is from mainland China.

“One special request I have is for the media in Taiwan to kind of give them their space because they can’t go to work without being bombarded and people following them,” said Lin, after the Knicks 104-97 win over defending NBA champion Dallas Sunday.

“I just want people to respect the privacy of my relatives in Taiwan. Hopefully this will get back to everybody because they need to live their lives.”

Lin also talked about an apology he received from U.S. broadcasting giant ESPN which posted an anti-Asian slur in a headline on its mobile website following Friday’s Knicks game.

“ESPN has apologized,” Lin said. “I don’t think it was on purpose. From my end, I don’t care anymore. You have to learn to forgive. I don’t even think that was intentional. Hopefully not.”