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Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter Freedom has been diligent in speaking about the inequalities in China lately. Kanter Freedom has called out stars LeBron James and Michael Jordan for their continual support of Nike and its apparent relation to Chinese slavery.
Hall of Famer Kareem-Abdul Jabbar, long recognized as an activist, stated his admiration to Enes Kanter Freedom and his courage:
“He is just the kind of courageous American citizen we need.”
Kareem-Abdul Jabbar was not only a legend on the court but off of it as well. From always promoting cultural heritage to refusing to participate in the 1968 Olympics after the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Jabbar stayed as active in the politics of equality as he did basketball.
Enes Kanter Freedom is taking a similar route by asking the United States to boycott the upcoming 2022 Olympics in Beijing. In response to Kanter Freedom's protests and allegations of cruelty and inhumanity, China has dropped Celtics games from their streaming service.
No stranger to systematic oppression, the 11-year veteran who was raised in Turkey and is Muslim has firsthand experience with an authoritarian regime.
Kanter Freedom was notably exiled from his home country for speaking against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan then labeled Kanter a terrorist for his support of an exiled Muslim cleric who was accused of a failed coup attempt in 2016. Kanter’s father was sentenced to 15 years for supporting the same group, serving seven of them.
Lately, Enes Kanter Freedom’s focus seems to be on China, where members of the Uyghur Muslim minority have been placed in concentration camps. Kanter Freedom has called out the NBA for prioritizing business relationships over the rights of Uyghurs.
Kanter Freedom recently posted to Twitter about James, claiming:
“Money over Morals for the ‘King.’ Sad & disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice. They really do ‘shut up & dribble’ when Big Boss says so.”
These comments granted him large applause at a home game and a welcoming spot on Fox News, a station home to Laura Ingraham’s comments about players like LeBron James, saying they should “shut up and dribble."
Kanter Freedom has said he is willing to sacrifice his playing minutes in order to keep his mind on exposing inequalities off the court. Celtics coach Ime Udoka said that any lowering of playing time had more to do with Kanter Freedom’s inability to play effectively because of long-standing defensive struggles.
Kanter’s awakening started when he was taking pictures with children in a basketball camp. A set of parents called out Enes Kanter Freedom for “calling himself a human rights activist while letting his Muslim brothers and sisters get tortured and raped every day.” He then vowed to bring awareness to social issues.
The promise was kept, as he has called out big names like LeBron James and Michael Jordan in moves that generated big headlines. Calling out the NBA's biggest names made his story get front page news. Regardless of whether he has any basis for his comments toward both stars, he got the attention he said he wanted.
Guess the Lakers players!
