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Asian Americans have participated in all major American sports, including as athletes, managers, and coaches.
Asian Americans have appeared in all major sports in the United States, including theNFL,Olympic sports, thePGA Tour, theNBA,MLS, and other global sports organizations. Many Asian-American athletes have managed to reach the top level of their respective sports, includingTommy Kono,Tiger Woods,Apolo Ohno, andKristi Yamaguchi.
Although Asian Americans did not face formal discrimination to the same degree asAfrican Americans, stereotyping and other informal discrimination has affected Asian American participation in sports.[1] Asian athletes remain largely underrepresented in American sports.[2]
Bobby Balcena was a Filipino American athlete fromSan Pedro, CA. He had a 15-year career in the minor leagues from 1948 to 1963. He played outfielder with theWichita Indians,San Antonio Missions,Kansas City Blues,Buffalo Bisons,Dallas Rangers,Vancouver Mounties,Hawaii Islanders,Toronto Maple Leafs andSeattle Rainiers.[3] In 1956,Bobby Balcena became the first Asian American to play inMajor League Baseball, playing seven games for theCincinnati Redlegs.[4] He died in 1990 and until then had been the only Filipino American to play inMajor League Baseball.[5]
Japanese AmericanKurt Suzuki played for sixMajor League Baseball franchises over his 15 year career. Other currentMajor League Baseball players with Asian American backgrounds include:Keston Hiura,Jordan Yamamoto,Connor Joe,Rob Refsnyder,Steven Kwan, andBryan Woo.Don Wakamatsu, who played 18 games for theChicago White Sox in 1991, became the first Major League manager of Asian descent when he was named manager of theSeattle Mariners in 2008. In2020,Los Angeles Dodgers managerDave Roberts became the first Asian-American manager to win a World Series.
Wataru Misaka broke theBAA (the precursor to theNBA) color barrier when he played for theNew York Knicks in the 1947–48 season.[6] Prior to his brief professional career, Misaka helped lead theUtah Utes to victories in the1944 NCAA and1947 NIT championships.
Another prominent Asian American NBA player wasRaymond Townsend. Townsend played for theGolden State Warriors andIndiana Pacers from 1978 to 1982.[6]Rex Walters played from 1993 to 2000 with theNets,Philadelphia 76ers andMiami Heat;[6] he was the head coach for theUniversity of San Francisco basketball team.[7]
After playing basketball atHarvard University, point guardJeremy Lin signed with the NBA'sGolden State Warriors in 2010[6] and won an NBA Championship with theToronto Raptors in the 2018-2019 NBA season. Lin also played in theNBA G League with theSanta Cruz Warriors, before signing with theBeijing Ducks in 2021.
During his time with the Knicks, Lin had an exceptional stretch of play popularly dubbed "Linsanity".[8] While prominent Knicks players includingCarmelo Anthony andAmar'e Stoudemire were temporarily out due to injuries and personal issues, Lin led the Knicks on a 9-3 stretch while averaging 22.5 points and 8.7 assists per game.[9]
However, Lin also faced racist remarks by media during this time.Jason Whitlock, aFox Sports columnist,tweeted, "Some lucky lady in NYC is gonna feel a couple inches of pain tonight," referencing a stereotype that Asian men have small penises.[10] Whitlock later apologized for the remark.[11]
Later, after a loss to theCharlotte Hornets where Lin posted nine turnovers, ESPN published an article titled "Chink in the Armor," with other references containing theslur occurring in other ESPN media. The article was quickly withdrawn and the writer responsible was fired; Lin, when asked for a comment, said, "“I don’t think it was on purpose. At the same time, they’ve apologized. I don’t care anymore.”[12]
Jordan Clarkson of theUtah Jazz is also of partial Filipino-American descent.
CurrentKansas Jayhawks assistant coachKurtis Townsend is Raymond Townsend's brother.[13]
Erik Spoelstra, whose mother is Filipino, became the youngest coach ever inNBA history. He is currently the head coach of theMiami Heat.[14]
Bobby Webster, whose mother isJapanese American, is currently serving as general manager for theToronto Raptors of theNBA
Unlike baseball, which was introduced to Japan by the United States in 1873 and played predominantly by the immigrantIssei, basketball in the Japanese American community gained popularity as a sport primarily embraced by theNisei, the second-generation Japanese Americans. It became a trueJapanese American phenomenon during the 1920s, as recreational teams formed wherever there were significant numbers of youngJapanese American men, particularly inCalifornia regions like theSan Francisco Bay Area,Sacramento, theCentral Valley, andLos Angeles.
Basketball teams were often organized and sponsored by localYMCAs (Young Men’s Christian Associations),YMBAs (Young Men’s Buddhist Associations), and privateJapanese American social clubs. In 1933, the Japanese Amateur Athletic Union (JAAU) in both Northern and Southern California began sponsoring basketball, organizing formal leagues for the top-rated teams. Local ethnic presses played a pivotal role in promoting these leagues by publishing schedules, scores, and stories, helping to bridge urban and rural Japanese American communities.[15]
The leagues thrived until 1941, whenExecutive Order 9066 led to the wartime incarceration of over 110,000 Japanese Americans, abruptly ending all organized basketball play. However, basketball remained popular in theinternment camps, offering a sense of normalcy and community during a time of great upheaval.
After the war,Japanese Americans returned to the West Coast, where basketball continued to serve as a key element of community life. The Nisei Athletic Union (NAU), founded by figures like Akira Komai and Min Sano, quickly succeeded the JAAU and revitalized league play in both Northern and Southern California.[16] Leagues continued to expand in the post-war years, with various levels of competition ('AA', 'A', and 'B' levels) to accommodate teams of different skill levels.
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Wally Yonamine played professionally in theNFL for a single season with theSan Francisco 49ers in 1947. In his one season with the team, he had 19 carries for 74 yards and caught 3 passes for 40 yards.[17] After his brief career in theNFL Yonamine traveled overseas to play baseball. In 1951, he became the first American to play professional baseball in Japan, leading off for theYomiuri Giants.
Hines Ward, who was of Korean descent, played both football and baseball. Prior to playing wide receiver at theUniversity of Georgia, Ward was drafted by theMiami Marlins and offered a $25,000 signing bonus.[18] He was drafted 92nd overall in the NFL draft by thePittsburgh Steelers and played all 14 seasons for the organization.[19] Ward was also notable for his speaking out against discrimination issues that were occurring in his birthplace ofSouth Korea.
Walter "Sneeze" Achiu was the first person of east Asian descent to play in theNational Football League.[20] At theUniversity of Dayton, he was a three-sport athlete participating in football, baseball, and track. Walter Achiu was inducted into the University of Dayton Hall of Fame in 1974.[20] After his time in the NFL, Achiu went on to become a professional wrestling champion when he competed in the 1950s.[20]
Norm Chow was the head coach for theUniversity of Hawaii from 2012 to 2015 and former offensive coordinator forUCLA from 2008 and 2010 after a short stint with theTennessee Titans of theNFL, after 23 years of coaching other college teams, including four years as offensive coordinator atUSC.
From 1923 to 1926,Arthur Matsu, who was of Japanese and Scottish descent, was the quarterback forThe College of William & Mary football team. Matsu played one season professionally with theDayton Triangle, before embarking on a coaching career.
In 1962, half-FilipinoRoman Gabriel was the first Asian American to be drafted as anNFLquarterback.
Dat Nguyen was an NFL middle linebacker who was an all-pro selection in 2003 for theDallas Cowboys. In 1998, he was named an All-American and won theBednarik Award as well as theLombardi Award, while playing forTexas A&M University.
Hines Ward, who was born to a Korean mother and anAfrican American father, is a former NFL wide receiver who was theMVP ofSuper Bowl XL. Ward also wonthe 12th season of theDancing with the Stars television series.
Former Patriots linebackerTedy Bruschi is of Filipino and Italian descent. While playing for the Patriots, Bruschi won three Super Bowl rings and was a two-time All-Pro selection. Bruschi is currently an NFL analyst at ESPN.
Ed Wang was the first full-blooded Chinese player to both be drafted and to play in the NFL[21] after theAFL–NFL merger, Edward was a formerAmerican footballoffensive tackle and playedcollege football atVirginia Tech and wasdrafted by theBuffalo Bills in the 2010 NFL Draft.
Younghoe Koo, the current kicker for the Atlanta Falcons, was born inSouth Korea and is the fourth player in NFL history to have been born in South Korea.[a]
2018 Heisman Trophy winner, 1st overall pick of the2019 NFL draft andArizona Cardinals quarterbackKyler Murray is of partial Korean descent.[23]
Five years later, theWashington Commanders would draft 2023 Heisman Trophy winning quarterbackJayden Daniels, who is of partial Japanese descent, second overall in the2024 NFL draft. Daniels would go on to win the 2024Offensive Rookie of the Year award and began wearing aJapanese flag on his helmet during the 2025 season.[24]
Marcus Freeman, a Korean American, was named head coach of theNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team in 2021. In2024-25 College Football Playoff, Freeman became the first Asian American and African American coach to reach a Division I national college football championship.[25]
Taylor Rapp Current Safety for NFL Buffalo Bills is of Canadian Father and Chinese Mother born in Atlanta, Georgia. Rams Superbowl win February 13, 2022.[26]
Patrick Chung A retired 3 times Superbowl champion for the Patriots as a Safety. Is half of descent Jamaican motherSophia George and Chinese father raised in Los Angeles, California.[27]
In 2004, UFC PresidentDana White calledBruce Lee, who was born in San Francisco, the "father of mixed martial arts".[28]
There are several top ranked Asian Americanmixed martial artists.B.J. Penn is a formerUFC lightweight and welterweight champion.Cung Le is a formerStrikeforce middleweight champion.Benson Henderson is the formerWEC lightweight champion and a formerUFC lightweight champion.Nam Phan is aUFC featherweight fighter.
Asian Americans first made an impact in Olympic sports in the late 1940s and in the 1950s.Victoria Manalo Draves won both gold in platform and springboard diving in the 1948 Olympics, becoming the first Asian American to earn a gold medal.Sammy Lee became the first Asian American man to earn an Olympic Gold Medal (two days after Draves), winning in platform diving in both 1948 and 1952.Harold Sakata won a weightlifting silver medal in the 1948 Olympics, whileTommy Kono (weightlifting),Yoshinobu Oyakawa (100-meter backstroke) andFord Konno (1500-meter freestyle) each won gold and set Olympic records in the 1952 Olympics. Konno won another gold and silver swimming medal at the same Olympics and added a silver medal in 1956, while Kono set another Olympic weightlifting record in 1956. Also at the 1952 Olympics,Evelyn Kawamoto won two bronze medals in swimming.
Eric Sato won gold (1988) and bronze (1992) medals in volleyball, while his sisterLiane Sato won bronze in the same sport in 1992. BrothersKawika andErik Shoji won bronze medals in volleyball in 2016.
Amy Chow was a member of the gold medal women's gymnastics team at the1996 Olympics; she also won an individual silver medal on the uneven bars. GymnastMohini Bhardwaj won a team silver medal in the2004 Olympics.Bryan Clay who is of halfJapanese descent[29] won the decathlon gold medal in the2008 Olympics, the silver medal in the2004 Olympics, and was the sport's 2005 world champion.
SinceTiffany Chin won the women's US Figure Skating Championship in 1985, Asian Americans have been prominent in that sport.Kristi Yamaguchi won three national championships, two world titles, and the 1992 Olympic gold medal.Michelle Kwan has won nine national championships and five world titles, as well as two Olympic medals (silver in 1998, bronze in 2002). At the2018 Winter Olympics,Mirai Nagasu became the first American woman to land thetriple axel in Olympic competition.Nathan Chen won a gold medal in themen's figure skating singles competition at the2022 Winter Olympics.
Apolo Ohno, who is of halfJapanese descent,[30] is a short track speed skater and an eight-time Olympic medalist as well as the most decorated American Winter Olympic athlete of all time. He became the youngest U.S. national champion in 1997 and was the reigning champion from 2001 to 2009, winning the title a total of 12 times. In 1999, he became the youngest skater to win a World Cup event title, and became the first American to win aWorld Cup overall title in 2001, which he won again in 2003 and 2005. He won his first overall World Championship title at the2008 championships.
Chloe Kim won gold medals in snowboarding at the2018 and2022 Winter Olympics.
Nathan Adrian, who is ahapa of halfChinese descent,[31] is a professional Americanswimmer and three-timeOlympicgold medalist who currently holds theAmerican record in the 50 and 100-yard freestyle (short course) events. He has won a total of fifteen medals in major international competitions, twelve gold, two silver, and one bronze spanning the Olympics, theWorld, and thePan Pacific Championships.
Hmong AmericanSunisa Lee won the2020 Olympics all-around gymnastics gold medal during the Tokyo Olympics.[32]
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In long-distance running,Miki Gorman won theBoston andNew York City marathons twice in the 1970s. A former American record holder at the distance, she is the only woman to win both races twice, and is one of only two women to win both marathons in the same year.
Tiger Woods, an Afro-Asian, is the most successful golfer of his generation and one of the most famous athletes in the world. In 1997, at the age of 21, he became the youngest and the first African American to win theU.S. Masters.[33] Woods made his first appearance in the British Open later that year and tied the course record of 64. He won another 13 majors and was named the PGA Player of the Year 10 times over the next 12 years.[33] His most recent major victory was at the 2019 US Masters after many doubted his return. Later that year, Woods won theZozo Championship to tie Sam Snead's PGA Tour record of 82 victories. Tiger Woods has gained more than $118 million in career earnings and having an estimated net worth of $800 million.
Collin Morikawa, who is of Chinese and Japanese descent, won the2020 PGA Championship and the2021 British Open. He also appeared as a member of the United States national team in the2021 and2023 Ryder Cups and2022 and2024 Presidents Cups.
Eric Koston is one of the top street skateboarders and placed first in the 2003X-Games street competition.Richard Park is a Korean American ice hockey player who currently plays for the Swiss teamHC Ambri-Piotta.
Brian Ching, whose father was Chinese, represented theUnited States Men's National Soccer Team, scoring 11 goals in 45 caps. He participated in the2006 World Cup and won the2007 Gold Cup.[34]
Kyle Larson became the first driver of Asian descent to win in theNASCAR Cup Series in 2016. He was also the first Asian to win a NASCAR touring series championship, winning the 2012NASCAR K&N Pro Series East title.
Jeanette Lee, a professionalpool player born to Korean parents, received numerous accolades throughout her career, including the 1998Women's Professional Billiard Association (WPBA) Sportsperson of the Year Award. She won a gold medal for the United States in women's9-ball at the2001 Akita World Games.
Cricket's presence in the United States, manifested at the highest level byMajor League Cricket, has mainly been driven byimmigration from Commonwealth countries, with the Asian component of that mainly coming from South Asia. Team USA, comprising mainlySouth Asian Americans, pulled off an upset against Pakistan during the2024 Men's T20 World Cup.[35]
CurrentNational Hockey League players withAsian American backgrounds include:Kailer Yamamoto, brothersKiefer andKole Sherwood, and brothersJason andNick Robertson.
Julie Chu, who is three-quarters Chinese and one-quarter Puerto Rican,[36] is an American Olympic ice hockey player who played for the United States women's ice hockey team. She was also the US Olympic Team Flag Bearer for the 2014 Winter Olympic Closing Ceremonies.[37]
In 1973,Ann Kiyomura won the Wimbledon junior singles title. In 1975, she won theWimbledon women's doubles title.[38]
Michael Chang was a top-ranked tennis player for most of his career. He was seen as an underdog standing at 5'9 and weighing only 150 pounds. He was the youngest tennis player to be ranked among the five best players in the world.[citation needed] Chang was fifteen years old when he went from juniors to professional. He became the youngest to win a match at the U.S. Open and go to the semifinals. He went pro in 1988 and in 1989, at the age of seventeen, he became the youngest player ever to win the French Open, and the first American to win the event since 1955.[citation needed] Chang gained an estimated $18 million from tournament winnings excluding product endorsements.
Jessica Pegula, the daughter ofKim Pegula, the Korean-born co-owner of theBuffalo Bills andBuffalo Sabres, was a finalist in the2024 US Open and has been ranked as high as No. 3 in theWTA rankings. Pegula is also an accomplished doubles player, reaching the2022 French Open final with fellow AmericanCoco Gauff. She was ranked the number one doubles player by the WTA as recently as September 2023.
Southern Californian Bobby Balcena was the first Asian American to play Major League Baseball.
Lin, whose parents are from Taiwan, is the N.B.A.'s first American-born player of Chinese or Taiwanese descent. He is the league's fourth Asian American, following Raymond Townsend (Filipino-American), who played for the Warriors (1978–80) and Indiana Pacers (1981–82); Wat Misaka (Japanese-American), who was with the Knicks in 1947–48; and Rex Walters (half Japanese), who played from 1993 to 2000 for the Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat.
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