"Whenever I talk about LeBron and Michael, some people can think I'm racist" - Enes Freedom on why he calls out Michael Jordan and LeBron James repeatedly

Enes Freedom has been very vocal against LeBron James and Michael Jordan. The American center has fired shots at both basketball greats because of their business ventures and association with China. Freedom has spoken against China's forced Uighur labor and has slammed James and Jordan for being inconsiderate towards human rights.

Freedom has received mixed support from the community for calling out the two basketball legends, though. Many have called him a racist for targeting the duo. However, Freedom has said that many black athletes in the league have been reaching out to him to call out other players.

Speaking on 'The Ringers' podcast, Freedom said:

"Whenever I talk about LeBron and Michael, some people can think that I'm racist because I'm only attacking, you know, black athletes, which is wrong, I'm gonna get the other athletes too. But what people don't know is, other black athletes around the league are the one(s) reaching out to me and said call out this player, call out that player, they are the one(s) that gave me talking points."

Enes Freedom is currently not with any NBA team. While many believe that is because of his constant criticism of the Chinese government, the league has denied such claims.

Speaking to the NY times about falling out of favor in the league, Freedom thinks otherwise, saying:

"It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released, but it does take people with a conscience to speak out and say it’s not right.”

LeBron James' beef with Enes Freedom goes back to his playing days with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Both have fired shots at each other several times. When Freedom criticized James for his involvement with Nike, he attacked the four-time NBA champion's ability to speak on issues of social injustice.

Regarded by many as one of the most outspoken athletes in the world, James decided not to get back at the former Boston Celtics center.

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How good was Enes Freedom as an NBA player?

Boston Celtics vs Phoenix Suns

Enes Freedom was picked third overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 draft. He was only the 10th player from the franchise to play all games in his rookie season as he proved to be a great addition for the team. Freedom was a brilliant rebounder, and his performances kept improving every year.

After playing four years in Utah, Freedom moved to the OKC Thunder in 2015, where he mostly came off the bench. Following that stint, the big man was traded to the New York Knicks in exchange for Carmelo Anthony.

Freedom played some of his best basketball there and was an important part of the team. However, midseason, he was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, who needed a center for the second half of the season.

They started him in eight games before trading him to the Boston Celtics at the end of the season. The player never seemed to get going and was traded back to the Trail Blazers after the 2019-20 season.

Enes Freedom had a terrific 2020-21 campaign with Portland, where he averaged 11.2 PPG and 11.0 RPG. However, with Jusuf Nurkic coming back, they decided not to sign Freedom again, paving the way for the player to sign a veteran's minimum contract with the Boston Celtics.

With the team featuring Al Horford and Robert Williams III, Freedom never really got enough chances to play. He was eventually traded to the Houston Rockets in February 2022 but was waived by them.

At 29, Enes Freedom still has a lot of basketball left in him. He has had his share of controversy, but there is no denying that he gives it his all on the court.

He'll certainly have to work hard for any team to trade for him. However, with all the controversy that he has invited, not many franchises may want to gamble by having Freedom in their ranks.