In October, Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom began using his platform to advocate for human rights across the globe by calling on the Chinese government to “Free Tibet” and by criticizing the communist government’s &#8220;brutal rule.”
What followed was the Chinese streaming service Tencent blacking out all Celtics games on the platform, as well as removing replays of previous Celtics games. But the response from China didn&#8217;t deter Kanter Freedom, as he continued to post videos and messages to his social media accounts calling out the Chinese government for their record of human rights abuses. 
On November 29, he officially became a U.S. citizen. On Monday, Kanter Freedom shared a letter sent to him by the 43rd president of the United States — George W. Bush — congratulating him on his new U.S. citizenship. 
“What an honor! Huge thanks to 43rd president of the U.S. George W. Bush,” Kanter Freedom posted to Twitter. “I’m proud to be a citizen of the United States of America, the land of the free and home of the brave. I will never take for granted the Freedoms that I have here.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
What an honor! 
Huge thanks to 43rd president of the U.S. George W. Bush 
I’m proud to be a citizen of the United States of America, the land of the free and home of the brave. 🇺🇸
I will never take for granted the Freedoms that I have here. <a href="https://t.co/WAtTcLUMwb">pic.twitter.com/WAtTcLUMwb</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1475507863917314054?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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His activism has gained attention nationwide, and two NBA Hall of Famers have joined Kanter Freedom in speaking out on China&#8217;s human rights atrocities. 
Dominique Wilkins, a 15-year NBA veteran, joined Kanter Freedom in a December video criticizing the Chinese government for its treatment of the Uyghur people. 
“History is written in two ways: One, you can sit on the couch and watch how it’s written. Or two, you can do something about it and write history,” Wilkins <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-cannot-stay-silent-enes-kanter-freedom-joined-by-nba-hall-of-famer-in-calling-on-chinese-government-to-free-the-uyghur-people">said</a> in the video. “Which side are we taking?”
“What is happening to the Uyghur people is one of the worst human rights tragedies in the world today,” Wilkins continued. “We cannot stay silent.”
Days later, Kanter Freedom thanked Kareem Abdul-Jabbar — the NBA’s all-time leading scorer — for his video, which applauded the Celtics center for criticizing the Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s “cruelty and inhumanity.”
“His protests have brought retaliation from China, who have pulled Celtics games from the streaming site Tencent,” Abdul-Jabbar <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-true-leader-enes-kanter-freedom-to-kareem-abdul-jabbar-after-he-hits-china-over-human-rights-abuses">said</a>. “I can’t help but admire Enes’ unapologetic bravery and commitment to the very freedom he celebrates with his name change. China is a big source of money for the NBA, so to criticize their cruelty and inhumanity is a bold step. He is just the kind of courageous American citizen we need.”
Kanter Freedom has used his platform not only to criticize the CCP, but to call out those who profit off of Chinese labor. 
In November, Kanter Freedom took to social media with a message for LeBron James, accompanied by pictures of his custom footwear.
“Money over Morals for the ‘King’ [Crown]. Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice,” Kanter said, referring to James. “They really do ‘shut up &amp; dribble’ when Big Boss [Flag of China] says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Money over Morals for the “King” 👑 
Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice
They really do “shut up &amp; dribble” when Big Boss 🇨🇳 says so
Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research? <a href="https://t.co/YUA8rGYeoZ">pic.twitter.com/YUA8rGYeoZ</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1461380967197814785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Kanter Freedom later offered to sit down with James in a “very uncomfortable conversation.”
“I don’t know if he’s educated enough, but I’m here to educate him and I’m here to help him, because it’s not about money. It’s about morals, principles and values. It’s about what you stand for. There are way bigger things than money. If LeBron stopped making money now, his grandkids and grandkids and grandkids can have the best life ever.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

New York Knicks Vs Boston Celtics At TD Garden

‘I Will Never Take For Granted The Freedoms That I Have Here’: Enes Kanter Freedom Reacts To Letter From Former President

Communist China

Enes Kanter

George W. Bush

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom now has an NBA Hall of Famer on board to assist him in his criticism of the Communist Chinese government over their human rights abuses.
Freedom — who legally changed his name when becoming a U.S. citizen in November — has called out China and its leader Xi Jinping over the past month and a half, calling for a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/celtics-games-pulled-in-china-after-enes-kanters-message-for-brutal-dictator-of-china">free Tibet</a>, an independent Taiwan, calling on the Chinese government to “stop the genocide” of the Uyghur people, and challenging President Joe Biden to “stop playing games with bullies” ahead of his meeting with Jinping.
In one of his earlier posts, Freedom called on the Chinese government to “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-doubles-down-calls-on-heartless-dictator-of-china-to-free-the-uyghur-people">stop the genocide</a>” of the Uyghur people.
“Heartless dictator of China, Xi Jinping, and the Communist Party of China, I’m calling you out right now in front of the whole world,” Freedom said in a video posted to social media. “Close down the slave labor camps and free the Uyghur people. Stop the genocide now.”
On Saturday, Freedom once again posted to social media to call out the Chinese government&#8217;s treatment of the Uyghurs. This time, he was joined by nine-time NBA All Star Dominique Wilkins.
“History is written in two ways: One, you can sit on the couch and watch how it’s written. Or two, you can do something about it and write history,” Wilkins said in the video. “Which side are we taking?”
“What is happening to the Uyghur people is one of the worst human rights tragedies in the world today,” Wilkins continued. “We cannot stay silent.”
Wilkins played 15 years in the NBA — 12 with the Atlanta Hawks — and was inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Freedom went on to discuss the alleged “concentration camps” created for the Uyghurs.
“There is a genocide happening right now. The Chinese government is sending millions of Uyghurs to concentration camps where they are subject to torture, forced labor, rape, and sterilization,” Freedom said. “All simply because they embrace their own religion, their own culture, language, history, and identity.”
“All of us must spread the word and call on the Chinese government to free the Uyghur people,” Freedom continued. “We need to wake up, we need to speak up. Close the camps. Stop the genocide. Freedom for all.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“What is happening to the Uyghurs is one of the worst human rights abuses in the world today.”
We can NOT stay silent
Huge thanks to my brother <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a> legend <a href="https://twitter.com/DWilkins21?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DWilkins21</a> for being the strong voice of all those innocent Uyghur people in Concentration Camps
Stop the Genocide, now! <a href="https://t.co/7qFKfknJEQ">pic.twitter.com/7qFKfknJEQ</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1469690026405466113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 11, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Last week, Freedom turned his attention to Venezuela.
On Monday, Freedom took to social media to attack Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro for his “human rights abuses.” He did so with the help of Juan Guaido, a U.S.-backed Venezuelan politician.
“We need to save Venezuela,” Guaido <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-takes-aim-at-brutal-dictator-nicolas-maduro">said</a> in the video. “We have to save democracy. That’s the cause that motivate us, and that can save lives and future of millions of people. But we need our voices to be heard, and that’s why we thank the people that help us, people like Enes Kanter, who is fighting a courageous battle for freedom. He is a voice for millions who are suffering the oppression of powerful regimes that constantly violate the human rights of the people and humiliate their dignity.”
Freedom followed up the video with a message for those who were forced to flee Venezuela in recent years, alongside a new version of his custom shoes.
“I’m here to raise the voices of millions against a Dictatorship that made 6 million+ people flee [Venezuela],” Kanter Freedom posted to Twitter. “6 million+ people who are now looking for a chance to survive outside of their country &amp; dreaming of returning home to hug their loved ones. We need to help [Save Venezuela].”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I&#39;m here to raise the voices of millions against a Dictatorship that made 6 million+ people flee <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Venezuela?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Venezuela</a>
6 million+ people who are now looking for a chance to survive outside of their country &amp; dreaming of returning home to hug their loved ones
We need to help <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SaveVenezuela?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SaveVenezuela</a> <a href="https://t.co/RMy3cqCndj">pic.twitter.com/RMy3cqCndj</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1468383223654674432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Kanter Freedom has played in 16 games this season, averaging 4.4 points and 5.5 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game. 
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Enes Kanter Freedom

‘We Cannot Stay Silent’: Enes Kanter Freedom Joined By NBA Hall Of Famer In Calling On Chinese Government To ‘Free The Uyghur People’

Uyghur

Enes Kanter Freedom’s crusade against China and those who profit off of the ruling Communist party continues. 
A week after becoming a U.S. citizen and legally changing his last name to “Freedom,” Kanter is now going after a former NBA player for playing in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Jeremy Lin played in the NBA for nine seasons, spending time with eight different organizations, and averaged 11.6 points and 4.3 assists per game in his career. He became well-known during his time with the New York Knicks, taking the city by storm and sparking the phrase &#8220;Linsanity.&#8221; 
According to the South China Morning Post, Lin signed with the Beijing Ducks of the CBA last Tuesday and is expected to play out the rest of the 2021-2022 season. 
On Sunday, Freedom went after Lin — who is Taiwanese-American and born in California — for joining the Chinese league. 
“Shame on you [Jeremy Lin],” Freedom posted to social media. “Haven’t you had enough of that Dirty Chinese Communist Party money feeding you to stay silent? How disgusting of you to turn your back against your country &amp; your people. Stand with Taiwan! Stop bowing to money &amp; the Dictatorship. Morals over Money brother.” 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Shame on you <a href="https://twitter.com/JLin7?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JLin7</a>
Haven’t you had enough of that Dirty Chinese Communist Party money feeding you to stay silent?
How disgusting of you to turn your back against your country &amp; your people.
Stand with Taiwan! Stop bowing to money &amp; the Dictatorship.
Morals over Money brother
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1467525844000145414?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Freedom has become increasingly vocal about human rights this season, speaking out against the Chinese government and those who profit off of Chinese labor. 
Kanter has called for a free Tibet, an independent Taiwan, called on the Chinese government to “stop the genocide” of the Uyghur people, and challenged President Biden to “stop playing games with bullies” ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Kanter has not been afraid to criticize the Chinese president, calling him a “brutal dictator” for the Chinese government’s record of human rights abuses. 
Kanter has also gone after Nike and the face of the NBA — LeBron James.
In the Celtics&#8217; November 19 matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kanter sported custom shoes that took direct aim at James. A day before, Kanter took to social media with a message for James accompanied by pictures of his custom footwear. 
“Money over Morals for the ‘King’ Crown. Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice,” Kanter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-enes-kanter-to-change-last-name-to-freedom">said</a>, referring to James. “They really do ‘shut up &amp; dribble’ when Big Boss [Flag of China] says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?”
Last week, Freedom said that he was willing to sit down and speak with James in an “uncomfortable conversation” regarding his unwillingness to speak out against human rights abuses in China. 
“Sure, I’d love to sit down and talk to him,” Freedom <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32755256/celtics-enes-kanter-freedom-says-welcome-sit-lebron-james-human-rights-abuses-china-here-educate-him">said</a> according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “I’m sure it’s going to be a very uncomfortable conversation for him. I don’t know if he’s gonna want that. I’ll make that really comfortable for him.”
“I don’t know if he’s educated enough, but I’m here to educate him and I’m here to help him, because it’s not about money. It’s about morals, principles and values. It’s about what you stand for. There are way bigger things than money. If LeBron stopped making money now, his grandkids and grandkids and grandkids can have the best life ever.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Boston Celtics v Portland Trail Blazers

Enes Kanter Freedom Criticizes Former NBA Player For Playing In Chinese Basketball Association

Enes Kanter Freedom may just be the bravest man in sports. Going after the face of the NBA — LeBron James — for his unwillingness to speak out against human rights abuses in China brings with it scrutiny that most athletes would shy away from. 
Freedom — Kanter legally changed his name on Monday after becoming a U.S. citizen — has not been shy in criticizing China for its record on human rights abuses, but going after Nike and James is different considering the league in which Freedom plays. 
Both James and Nike hold massive influence within the NBA. In 2015, Nike and the NBA agreed to an 8-year apparel deal beginning with the 2017-2018 NBA season worth a reported $1 billion, and James is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the league. 
Kanter has criticized James and others in past weeks for staying silent on China while they “pretend they care about social justice.” 
On Tuesday, Freedom spoke after the Boston Celtics practice and said that he was willing to sit down and speak with James in an “uncomfortable conversation.”  
&#8220;Sure, I&#8217;d love to sit down and talk to him,&#8221; Freedom <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32755256/celtics-enes-kanter-freedom-says-welcome-sit-lebron-james-human-rights-abuses-china-here-educate-him">said</a> according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. &#8220;I&#8217;m sure it&#8217;s going to be a very uncomfortable conversation for him. I don&#8217;t know if he&#8217;s gonna want that. I&#8217;ll make that really comfortable for him.”
&#8220;I don&#8217;t know if he&#8217;s educated enough, but I&#8217;m here to educate him and I&#8217;m here to help him, because it&#8217;s not about money. It&#8217;s about morals, principles and values. It&#8217;s about what you stand for. There are way bigger things than money. If LeBron stopped making money now, his grandkids and grandkids and grandkids can have the best life ever.”
In recent years, there has been an increase in athletes speaking out on issues outside of the playing field, an approach that Freedom seems to support. 
&#8220;I feel like it&#8217;s definitely time for athletes to stand up for the things they believe in &#8230; not just in America &#8230; but all over the world,&#8221; Kanter <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32755256/celtics-enes-kanter-freedom-says-welcome-sit-lebron-james-human-rights-abuses-china-here-educate-him">said</a>. 
In an October video posted to social media, Freedom first went after Nike and founder Phil Knight for their unwillingness to speak out on atrocities committed by the Chinese government. 
“Your company says that you’re making a positive impact in our communities,” Kanter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-goes-after-nike-invites-lebron-james-and-michael-jordan-to-visit-slave-labor-camps">said</a>. “And that is true. Yes, you are. Here, in the United States, Nike stands with Black Lives Matter. Nike stands with Stop Asian Hate. Nike stands with the Latino community. And Nike stands with the LGBTQ community … But when it comes to China, Nike remains silent.”
“You do not address [police brutality] in China, you do not speak about discrimination against the LGBTQ community, you do not say a word about the oppression of minorities in China. You are scared to speak up.”
Kanter went on to claim that Nike’s products are produced by forced labor, specifically Uyghur forced labor.
Later in the video, Kanter first mentioned James and NBA legend Michael Jordan, offering to buy them plane tickets to China so that they could “visit these slave labor camps and you can see with your own eyes.” 
On Tuesday, Freedom once again went after Jordan, saying that the six-time NBA champion and owner of the Charlotte Hornets is “scared to speak up.” 
&#8220;The thing is, whenever I talk about LeBron, whenever I talk about Michael Jordan, the Black athletes in the league are the ones reaching out to me and saying, &#8216;Listen, talk about this person,’” Freedom <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/32755256/celtics-enes-kanter-freedom-says-welcome-sit-lebron-james-human-rights-abuses-china-here-educate-him">said</a> according to ESPN. &#8220;Not many people know this, but they are the ones giving me talking points. When Black Lives Matter protests happened, I was the third one in the whole league that went out there and protested. I was actually wearing my jersey. I wanted them to know that I am with them.”
&#8220;But when these issues are happening, some of the other players out there in the league are scared to say anything against LeBron or Jordan &#8230; but they are reaching out to me and giving me talking points and say, &#8216;Listen, you talk about LeBron. It&#8217;s amazing &#8212; but he&#8217;s at least standing up for things in America. Why don&#8217;t you say anything about Michael Jordan? The only thing he is doing is just giving money, but he is remaining silent. He&#8217;s scared to speak up.’”
On Tuesday, James was placed in the NBA&#8217;s health and safety protocols and ruled out for the Lakers&#8217; Tuesday night game against the Sacramento Kings.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Boston Celtics v Toronto Raptors

Enes Kanter Freedom Willing To Have ‘Very Uncomfortable Conversation’ With LeBron James On China

China

LeBron James

You can add Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter to the list of NBA players who have officially changed their names during their playing days. 
On Sunday, NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Kanter will legally change his name to Enes Kanter Freedom as he prepares to become a U.S. citizen on Monday. 
&#8220;Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter is legally changing his name to Enes Kanter Freedom, [The Athletic] [Stadium] learned,” Charania posted to Twitter. “Kanter will be his middle name, Freedom is his new last name. He becomes a U.S. citizen on Monday.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter is legally changing his name to Enes Kanter Freedom, <a href="https://twitter.com/TheAthletic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheAthletic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Stadium?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stadium</a> learned. Kanter will be his middle name, Freedom is his new last name. He becomes a U.S. citizen on Monday.
&mdash; Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1464974953351200768?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2021</a></blockquote>
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In 1981, NBA player Lloyd Free changed his name to World B. Free, and Ron Artest changed his name to Metta World Peace in 2011. 
The Celtics are Kanter’s fifth NBA team, and he has averaged 4.2 points and 5.2 rebounds in 11.2 minutes per game in the 2021-2022 season. He has appeared in nine of the Celtics 20 games this year. 
Kanter has become increasingly vocal about human rights this season, speaking out against the Chinese government and those who profit off of Chinese labor. 
Kanter has called for a free Tibet, an independent Taiwan, called on the Chinese government to “stop the genocide” of the Uyghur people, and challenged President Biden to “stop playing games with bullies” ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Kanter has not been afraid to criticize the Chinese president, calling him a “brutal dictator” for the Chinese government&#8217;s record of human rights abuses. 
In an October 20th tweet, Kanter called on the Chinese government to “Free Tibet,” causing Celtics games to be pulled from the Chinese streaming service, Tencent.
“I say, shame on the Chinese government,” Kanter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/celtics-games-pulled-in-china-after-enes-kanters-message-for-brutal-dictator-of-china">said</a>. “The Chinese dictatorship is erasing Tibetan identity and culture. The cultural genocide in Tibet is so stifling, that more than 150 Tibetan people have burned themselves alive, hoping that such a horrific act of sacrifice will raise awareness and attention towards the ongoing abuses within Tibet.”
“Brutal dictator of China, Xi Jinping, I have a message for you and your henchmen,” he said in the video. “Free Tibet, free Tibet, free Tibet.”
Kanter has also gone after Nike and the face of the NBA — LeBron James.
In the Celtics November 19th matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, Kanter sported custom shoes that took direct aim at James. 
A day before, Kanter took to social media with a message for James accompanied by pictures of his custom footwear. 
“Money over Morals for the ‘King’ Crown. Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice,” Kanter said, referring to James. “They really do ‘shut up &amp; dribble’ when Big Boss [Flag of China] says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Money over Morals for the “King” 👑 
Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice
They really do “shut up &amp; dribble” when Big Boss 🇨🇳 says so
Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research? <a href="https://t.co/YUA8rGYeoZ">pic.twitter.com/YUA8rGYeoZ</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesKanter/status/1461380967197814785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The Celtics travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors Sunday night.
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Washington Wizards v Boston Celtics

Report: Enes Kanter To Change Last Name To ‘Freedom’

The Boston Celtic&#8217;s Enes Kanter slammed professional sports leagues and other high profile individuals during a Fox News interview on Tuesday for refusing to speak out about the atrocities taking place inside of communist China, saying that they are &#8220;scared&#8221; and they only care about money.
Kanter was interviewed by Martha MacCallum over a piece that he had published in The Wall Street Journal and a tweet that accompanied it where he weighed in on a high-profile Chinese tennis player that has gone missing at times since speaking out about an alleged sexual assault perpetrated by a high-ranking Chinese official.
&#8220;Move the Olympics for Peng Shuai’s Sake!!!&#8221; Kanter said. &#8220;It&#8217;s time for us to WAKE UP and SPEAK UP!! All the gold medals in the WORLD aren’t worth selling your morals, values and your principles.&#8221;
When asked by MacCallum if he felt like he was alone in his constant speaking out against China, Kanter said, &#8220;I mean, someone had to do it.&#8221;
&#8220;You know, you see, there&#8217;s so many athletes, so many actors, you know, so many singers and rappers out there,&#8221; Kanter said. &#8220;They&#8217;re scared. They&#8217;re scared to say a word because they care too much about their money. They care too much about their endorsement deals. They care too much about what the teams that they play for are going to say. But, you know, they should know one thing: It should be morals and principles over money. It shouldn&#8217;t be the opposite way.&#8221;
&#8220;And it&#8217;s so important, especially athletes, because there are so many young generation out there are watching us and idolizing us,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;So, if we don&#8217;t stand up against this dictatorships who will? So, to me it was really important. And I do feel alone, yes, because so many, you know, people out there are scared to say a word because they care too much about the business side of it. But to me, human rights are way more important than everything you can offer me.&#8221;
Kanter also spoke out against the genocide that China is committing in Xinjiang against religious minorities and China&#8217;s other tyrannical actions, saying that the communist nation does not represent the Olympic&#8217;s core values.
&#8220;They are a brutal dictatorship and they engage in censorship, they threaten the freedoms, and they don&#8217;t respect human rights, and they hide the truth,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And while we speaking right now, Martha, there is a genocide happening. There are millions of people in concentration camps &#8230; they&#8217;re getting tortured, and they&#8217;re getting gang raped every day.&#8221;
Kanter said that &#8220;organizations like NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, MLB&#8221; should take note of how the Women&#8217;s Tennis Association is standing up to China because &#8220;people&#8217;s lives &#8230; is way more important than business side of it.&#8221;
&#8220;So, I feel like we should definitely hold th[ese] organizations accountable, especially when they call themselves a social justice organizations,&#8221; he added. &#8220;But when, if it affects their money, if it affects their pocket, and their business, they are telling us to stay remain silent, but I feel like we have a huge platform and we need to use this platform.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Enes Kanter speaks out against China&#039;s ruling Communist Party amid Peng Shuai incident" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OU9kuK6j0iQ?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS HOST: My next guest tweeted, quote, &#8216;Move the Olympics for Peng Shuai&#8217;s sake!!! It&#8217;s time for us to WAKE UP and SPEAK UP!! All the gold medals in the WORLD aren&#8217;t worth selling your morals, values and your principles.&#8217; Boston Celtics Center Enes Kanter joins me now. Enes, thank you very much. It&#8217;s great to have you with us today. And you&#8217;ve shown so much courage in speaking out about this and I loved how in the piece that you wrote in The Wall Street Journal, you cited what&#8217;s possible when athletes speak out, citing Bill Russell stood up against racial injustice, Muhammad Ali against the Vietnam War, Arthur Ashe against apartheid in South Africa. Why do you think, do you feel like you&#8217;re alone when you&#8217;re, you know, putting all of these things on your sneakers and protesting China?
ENES KANTER, BOSTON CELTICS: I mean, someone had to do it. You know, you see, there&#8217;s so many athletes, so many actors, you know, so many singers and rappers out there. They&#8217;re scared. They&#8217;re scared to say a word because they care too much about their money. They care too much about their endorsement deals. They care too much about what the teams that they play for are going to say. But, you know, they should know one thing: It should be morals and principles over money. It shouldn&#8217;t be the opposite way. Because people&#8217;s lives depends on this. And it&#8217;s so important, especially athletes, because there are so many young generation out there are watching us and idolizing us. So, if we don&#8217;t stand up against this dictatorships who will? So, to me it was really important. And I do feel alone, yes, because so many, you know, people out there are scared to say a word because they care too much about the business side of it. But to me, human rights are way more important than everything you can offer me.
MACCALLUM: Well, good for, you&#8217;re setting such an important example. And I want to play a soundbite from the IOC vice president John Coates, who seems to have trouble with this issue. He says we can&#8217;t do anything about what&#8217;s going on in China, I mean, we&#8217;re the International Olympic Committee. Go ahead watch this. Oh, this full-screen quote, sorry, &#8216;We have no ability to go into a country and tell them what to do. All we can do is award the Olympics to a country under conditions set out in the host contract.&#8221; What would you say to him about what he should do about this?
KANTER: I mean, first of all, the Chinese Communist Party does not represent the Olympic core values of excellence, of respect or friendship, and they are a brutal dictatorship and they engage in censorship, they threaten the freedoms, and they don&#8217;t respect human rights, and they hide the truth. And while we speaking right now, Martha, there is a genocide happening. There are millions of people in concentration camps, which I speak to many of them in America, you know, they&#8217;re getting tortured, and they&#8217;re getting gang raped every day. So, you&#8217;re thinking about putting a put an Olympic Games in a country like this, it is unacceptable. You know, it&#8217;s a shame that International Olympic Committee are doing this, but I feel like we should definitely say stand up to this organizations, and definitely should push to move the games as somewhere else.
MACCALLUM: I mean the Tennis Association&#8217;s getting some praise for, you know, really pushing back on this issue. They&#8217;re probably the first people who&#8217;ve kind done that after you. But the NBA has a terrible record of this. So, what is it like for you in your sport when you&#8217;re speaking out and, you know, people have been fired or suspended from their jobs for even suggesting that we should support Taiwan or things along those lines?
KANTER: You know, I applaud Women&#8217;s Tennis Association. What a brave organization. I feel like every organization in the world, you know, especially in America, organizations like NBA, NFL, NHL, MLS, MLB should take notes because they care about their players more than the business and money. And when I saw the comment WTA, it gave me so much hope and motivation because this is the start. This is the start when people start waking up. But I think, you know, the one important thing is, we, listen, people&#8217;s lives &#8230; is way more important than business side of it. So, I feel like we should definitely hold th[ese] organizations accountable, especially when they call themselves a social justice organizations. But when, if it affects their money, if it affects their pocket, and their business, they are telling us to stay remain silent, but I feel like we have a huge platform and we need to use this platform.
MACCALLUM: Well there are a lot of questions about this video that Peng Shuai put out and whether or not she is okay. But one thing we know is that she&#8217;s an incredibly courageous young woman because what she did speaking out was very, very, very risky in China, that she&#8217;s calling out this man who has served in the government in high levels so we&#8217;re going to watch this. Thank you very much for what you do and for putting this front and center. He wears sneakers that say, &#8216;Xi is a control freak,&#8217; and others stuff on the side. We&#8217;ve seen a lot on the basketball courts and people speaking their minds about things but it&#8217;s pretty refreshing to see that you&#8217;re so willing to take such a strong stand on this. Thank you so much, Enes, it&#8217;s great to talk to you. I hope you&#8217;ll come back soon.
KANTER: Thank you, Martha.</blockquote>

Enes Kanter Slams Professional Sports Leagues For Not Speaking Out On China: ‘They’re Scared’

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter has been using his platform to advocate for human rights around the world, taking aim at the Chinese government for their human rights abuses.
Kanter has called for a free Tibet, an independent Taiwan, called on the Chinese government to “stop the genocide” of the Uyghur people, and challenged President Biden to &#8220;stop playing games with bullies&#8221; ahead of his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Kanter has also gone after Nike and the face of the NBA — LeBron James.
Friday night, the Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers squared off at TD Garden arena in Boston, and Kanter sported custom shoes that took direct aim at “The King.”
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-rips-lebron-james-will-shut-up-and-dribble-when-big-boss-china-says-so">The Daily Wire</a> reported, Kanter took to social media on Thursday with a message for James accompanied by pictures of his custom footwear.
“Money over Morals for the ‘King’ Crown. Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice,” Kanter said, referring to James. “They really do ‘shut up &amp; dribble’ when Big Boss [Flag of China] says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Money over Morals for the “King” 👑 
Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice
They really do “shut up &amp; dribble” when Big Boss 🇨🇳 says so
Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research? <a href="https://t.co/YUA8rGYeoZ">pic.twitter.com/YUA8rGYeoZ</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesKanter/status/1461380967197814785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
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On one of the shoes, James is seen kneeling while a crown is placed on his head by what appears to be an illustration of Chinese President Xi Jinping.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Boston Celtics player Enes Kanter wore sneakers tonight — while playing against the Lakers — with LeBron James bowing down while China’s dictator puts a crown on his head. <a href="https://t.co/E1L4ZyPWrF">pic.twitter.com/E1L4ZyPWrF</a>
&mdash; Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClayTravis/status/1461896610149974023?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Following the Lakers’ 130-108 loss, James was asked if had a reaction to Kanter’s shoes “in his advocacy for human rights.”
&#8220;No, I think if you know me, I don&#8217;t really give too many people my energy,&#8221; James said. &#8220;He&#8217;s definitely not someone I would give my energy to. [He&#8217;s] trying to use my name to create an opportunity for himself. Definitely won&#8217;t comment too much on that …”
“He&#8217;s always had a word or two to say in my direction, and as a man, if you&#8217;ve got an issue with somebody, you really come up to him. He had his opportunity tonight. I seen him in the hallway, and he walked right by me.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
LeBron on Enes Kanter: &quot;He&#39;s trying to use my name to create an opportunity for himself&#8230;As a man, if you&#39;ve got an issue with somebody, you come up to him. He had his opportunity tonight. I seen him in the hallway &amp; he walked right by me.<a href="https://t.co/KYDh5o6AMA">pic.twitter.com/KYDh5o6AMA</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1462074239973007364?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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James played 32 minutes and had 23 points in his first game back after missing the previous eight games recovering from an abdominal strain.
Kanter first took aim at James in a social media video in which he criticized Nike and its founder Phil Knight.
“Nike likes to say ‘Just Do It.’ Well, what are you doing about the slave labor that makes your shoes? That slave labor that makes you rich,” Kanter <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesKanter/status/1452712106843910148?s=20">said</a>. “To the owner of Nike — Phil Knight — I have a message for you. How about I book plane tickets for us, let’s fly to China together. We can try to visit these slave labor camps and you can see with your own eyes. LeBron James and Michael Jordan, you guys are welcome to come too. Nike must be a participant in this. Stop the hypocrisy. Stop the modern-day slavery now.”
Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to sports@dailywire.com.

Los Angeles Lakers v Boston Celtics

‘He’s Definitely Not Someone I Would Give My Energy To’: LeBron James On Enes Kanter’s Criticism

Enes Kanter of the Boston Celtics blasted NBA star LeBron James on Thursday, accusing James of hypocrisy over his calls for social justice in the U.S. while defending China.
Kanter has been an outspoken critic of China, as well as companies and players who have continued to keep close ties with or defend the Communist-controlled country over its record of human rights abuses.
James is an outspoken critic of the United States, often wading into hot cultural issues and claiming that black people continue to be victims of systemic oppression. James has been significantly more muted on China’s abuses, however, going as far as to critique then-Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey in 2018 over comments critical of China.
“I believe he wasn’t educated on the situation at hand and he spoke,” James <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disaster-lebron-tries-to-explain-china-remarks-digs-deeper-hole">said</a> after Morey publicly backed freedom in Hong Kong. “So many people could have been harmed, not only financially, but physically, emotionally, and spiritually.”
Kanter issued a tweet Thursday afternoon mocking James, accusing him of picking “money over morals” by refusing to be tough against China.
“Money over Morals for the ‘King’ Crown. Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice,” Kanter said, referring to James. “They really do ‘shut up &amp; dribble’ when Big Boss Flag of [China] says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Money over Morals for the “King” 👑 
Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice
They really do “shut up &amp; dribble” when Big Boss 🇨🇳 says so
Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research? <a href="https://t.co/YUA8rGYeoZ">pic.twitter.com/YUA8rGYeoZ</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesKanter/status/1461380967197814785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 18, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Earlier this month, Kanter <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-has-a-message-for-president-biden-stop-playing-games-with-bullies">challenged</a> President Joe Biden to be tougher on China as it signals at taking over Taiwan on the heels of its takeover of Hong Kong.
“President [Joe Biden] &amp; Dictator Xi Jinping are scheduled to speak[.] [President of the United States] Stop playing games with bullies &amp; do what you promised to the world! Prioritize Human Rights! Will [Joe Biden] ask about Uyghur Genocide or assault on Tibetans &amp; HK? Or will they pat each other on the back?” Kanter tweeted in the leadup to Biden’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Last month, Kanter went after Nike and James, as well as NBA legend Michael Jordan over their ties to China.
“Nike likes to say ‘Just Do It.’ Well, what are you doing about the slave labor that makes your shoes? That slave labor that makes you rich,” Kanter said in a video posted to social media. “To the owner of Nike — Phil Knight — I have a message for you. How about I book plane tickets for us, let’s fly to China together. We can try to visit these slave labor camps and you can see with your own eyes. LeBron James and Michael Jordan, you guys are welcome to come too. Nike must be a participant in this. Stop the hypocrisy. Stop the modern-day slavery now.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lebron-james-pandering-to-china-fails-to-win-him-chinese-release-date-for-space-jam-2">LeBron James’ Pandering To China Fails To Win Him Chinese Release Date For ‘Space Jam 2’</a>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taiwan-is-not-china-enes-kanters-latest-message-against-china">‘Taiwan Is Not China’: Enes Kanter’s Latest Message Against China</a>

Enes Kanter, LeBron James

Enes Kanter Rips LeBron James: Will ‘Shut Up And Dribble’ When ‘Big Boss’ China Says So

As President Joe Biden prepared for his virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday evening, CNN continued a streak of minimizing and dismissing criticisms of the communist regime from current NBA star Enes Kanter, a former Chinese dissident, and the global business community.
CNN posted an “opinion” story by Nury Turkel last Wednesday titled “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/08/opinions/uyghur-human-rights-history-repeat-itself-turkel/index.html">I was born in a Chinese &#8216;reeducation camp.&#8217; I&#8217;m watching history repeat itself</a>.” Turkel, a senior fellow at the right-of-center <a href="https://www.hudson.org">Hudson Institute</a>, wrote that he was born inside a Uighur detention center during the Cultural Revolution, “a period of totalitarian zeal: Almost anyone suspected of not being adequately communist was beaten, jailed or killed. Religious and ethnic minorities were particular targets.” Turkel warned that modern-day China resembles his nightmarish childhood, and that “many of the products enjoyed by Western countries are made by interned Uyghurs in China. According to several reports, Uyghur forced labor contributes significantly to the world economy &#8212; particularly<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/14/energy/china-solar-panels-uyghur-forced-labor-dst-intl-hnk/index.html"> solar-panel manufacturing </a>and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/14/energy/china-solar-panels-uyghur-forced-labor-dst-intl-hnk/index.html">cotton-growing industries</a>.”
But CNN posted an unsigned “Editor’s Note” at the bottom of the article, essentially exonerating China of Turkel’s charges:
<blockquote>The Chinese government <a href="https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/02/asia/xinjiang-china-karakax-document-intl-hnk/">has repeatedly denied </a>any allegations of crimes &#8212; including forced labor and forced sterilization &#8212; against the Uyghurs and other Turkic peoples. It claims it is providing the Uyghurs with education at &#8220;vocational training centers&#8221; while assisting in deradicalization efforts to combat alleged terrorism.</blockquote>
Yet, few human rights authorities question the reality of China’s exploitation of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang province. “The government of China has detained between one and three million Uyghurs—an ethnic and religious minority living in northwestern China—in detention camps and other facilities where they are reportedly subject to mistreatment, torture, and forced labor,” <a href="https://freedomhouse.org/article/united-states-freedom-house-applauds-passage-uyghur-human-rights-policy-act">according</a> to the human rights watchdog Freedom House. The U.S. State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2020-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/china/">fleshed out</a> the list of human rights abuses perpetrated against the nation’s Uighur population by the Chinese Communist Party to include “arbitrary imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty of more than one million civilians; forced sterilization, coerced abortions, and more restrictive application of China’s birth control policies; rape; torture of a large number of those arbitrarily detained; forced labor; and the imposition of draconian restrictions on freedom of religion or belief, freedom of expression, and freedom of movement.”
Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) publicized CNN’s disclaimer to his 4.6 million followers on Twitter, <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1458572186487230470">writing</a>, “CNN editors, who have 0 hesitation about publishing trash allegations against anyone they perceive as not leftwing enough, took an article by a Uyghur-American advocate exposing China&#8217;s ongoing genocide &amp; added an ‘Editor&#8217;s Note’ pushing CCP propaganda.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
CNN editors, who have 0 hesitation about publishing trash allegations against anyone they perceive as not leftwing enough, took an article by a Uyghur-American advocate exposing China&#39;s ongoing genocide &amp; added an &quot;Editor&#39;s Note&quot; pushing CCP propaganda. <a href="https://t.co/6LyByQRmeX">https://t.co/6LyByQRmeX</a> <a href="https://t.co/7RWXoFJ7vA">pic.twitter.com/7RWXoFJ7vA</a>
&mdash; Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1458572186487230470?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The same day, CNN&#8217;s Christiane Amanpour tweeted that NBA star Enes Kanter “has been using his stardom to take a stand against what he sees as human rights violations committed by the Chinese government. ‘China uses money to buy silence,’ Kanter tells me in a TV exclusive. ‘I don&#8217;t care about your endorsement deal.’” (Emphasis added.)
Kanter, a center for the Boston Celtics, has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kanter-blasts-nba-claims-he-was-asked-to-remove-free-tibet-sneakers-for-fear-of-being-banned">denounced</a> Chinese President Xi Jinping as the “brutal dictator of China.” He told his international audience that “as I speak this message, torture, rape, forced abortions, sterilizations, family separations, arbitrary detentions, concentration camps, political reeducation, forced labor.”
&#8220;NBA made me do this,&#8221; Kanter <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/10/sport/enes-kanter-encouraged-nba-speak-out-china-amanpour-spt-intl/index.html">told</a> Amanpour. “I don&#8217;t do politics. I do human rights.”
The Turkish-born Kanter said he felt obligated to speak when so many others in his profession remained silent. “There are so many athletes, so many actors, so many singers and so many people who have a platform that are speaking out about many of the issues out there in the world,” he said. “But when it comes to China &#8230; they are scared, because they care too much about money; they care too much about business; and they care too much about endorsement deals.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NBA star <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesKanter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EnesKanter</a> has been using his stardom to take a stand against what he sees as human rights violations committed by the Chinese government. 
&quot;China uses money to buy silence,&quot; Kanter tells me in a TV exclusive. &quot;I don&#39;t care about your endorsement deal.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/u3s5HV4MQI">pic.twitter.com/u3s5HV4MQI</a>
&mdash; Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) <a href="https://twitter.com/camanpour/status/1458504068196880397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
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CNN’s denial turned to the economic front early Monday morning, as CNN reported on the virtual tete-a-tete, correspondent David Culver said that “U.S./China relations have been growing tenser since 2018 when Former President Trump launched his trade war over Beijing&#8217;s alleged unfair practices, slapping massive tariffs on Chinese goods.” (Emphasis added.) China’s notorious trade practices — including wholesale violations of intellectual property rights and support for state-sponsored industries that Republicans and Democrats alike say violate WTO rules — <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/21/wto-china-20th-anniversary-trade-policy-516647">came under fire</a> during the World Trade Organization’s review on the 20th anniversary of China’s WTO membership.
The president’s visit comes just days after China engaged in <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/china-taiwan-military-drills/2021/11/10/7bc5a63e-41d2-11ec-9404-50a28a88b9cd_story.html">combat drills</a> after a U.S. congressional delegation visited Taiwan.
Despite the robust tensions between the United States and China, White House spokesperson Jen Psaki indicated the president would not be confrontational during his meeting. “The two leaders will discuss ways to responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC,” she <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/11/12/1054242599/biden-and-xi-will-meet-virtually-on-monday-heres-whats-at-stake">said</a> on Friday.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

‘Alleged Unfair Practices’: CNN Bows To China On Eve Of Biden-Xi Visit

Chinese Communist Party

Media Bias

Last week, Boston Celtics player Enes Kanter ripped the NBA during an interview with journalist Christiane Amanpour.
Amanpour first asked Kanter if the NBA was concerned about his outspokenness regarding Communist China — citing the kerfuffle with Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey and Hong Kong.
Kanter replied that he stands “for justice and freedom” no “matter who it&#8217;s for or against,” then offered a comparison between how he was treated for speaking out against Turkey versus how he is allegedly being treated when it comes to China.
“I have been talking about all the human rights violations and injustice [happening] in Turkey for 10 years, and I did not get one phone call. I talk about China one day … I was getting a phone call once every two hours,” the basketball player said.
Kanter then told Amanpour that when he first donned his “Free Tibet” sneakers on the court in Madison Square Garden, “two guys from the NBA” approached him and said that he needed to remove his shoes. When the officials allegedly told him that he wasn’t actually breaking any rules, Kanter kept his sneakers on, and the officials apparently later apologized.
“[I’m] getting ready for my citizenship test, and I’ve been studying really hard, and there&#8217;s 27 amendments, and my First Amendment is the greatest amendment, is the freedom of speech,” Kanter reportedly told the officials.
Kanter also claimed that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told him that he and the organization were supportive of the player’s comments against China.
“I don&#8217;t know how much that is true because if they were really supporting me, they would have put something out there, they … would put like some kind of statement … because I told Adam this too: our team games, the Boston Celtics games, are banned in China, and this is unacceptable just because I talk about the human rights violence that happened over there,” Kanter said to Amanpour.
Enes Kanter has become an outspoken critic of Communist China and Chinese President Xi Jinping. On Friday, the Celtics players <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/taiwan-president-thanks-enes-kanter-after-athlete-says-taiwan-at-the-frontlines-against-chinas-dictatorship">released a video</a> defending the sovereignty of Taiwan, to which the president of Taiwan replied with a thankful message.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/EnesKanter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EnesKanter</a> says that he doesn&#8217;t care about the cost that he may face from criticizing China. But are the NBA concerned? Kanter told me he has discussed it with commissioner Adam Silver. &#8220;I told him&#8230; am I breaking any rules?&#8221;
&#8220;He said, no, you&#8217;re not breaking any rules.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/v2pDNklsGS">pic.twitter.com/v2pDNklsGS</a>
— Christiane Amanpour (@camanpour) <a href="https://twitter.com/camanpour/status/1458507313606766600?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 10, 2021</a></blockquote>
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>AMANPOUR: So, you say you do not mind about the money, about the influence, about anything, but what about the NBA? They must mind … because now, as we know, the Houston Rockets official who talked about Hong Kong a couple of years ago, they pulled all NBA from Chinese state television, and now Tencent, which is the streaming device, has actually pulled you all from the streaming device — and that is a lot of money. I think they pay … more than a billion dollars to the NBA. So, what do you say about that?
KANTER: I will just tell you this: I am for justice and freedom. It doesn&#8217;t matter who it&#8217;s for or against. I remember, you know, I have been talking about all the human rights violations and injustices [happening] in Turkey for 10 years, and I did not get one phone call. I talk about China one day … I was getting a phone call once every two hours.
AMANPOUR: Who were you getting phone calls from? Is it from the NBA? Have they said anything? Because they haven&#8217;t said anything publicly about you, as far as I can gather.
KANTER: I will tell you a story. I remember, it was the first time, it was our first game actually, it was in Madison Square Garden, and I wore “Free Tibet” shoes and went out there. I remember two, right before the game, it was two guys from the NBA came up to me and said, “You have to take your shoes off. We are begging you.” And I was like, “I’m sorry, what are you talking about?” He said, “You have to take those shoes off; we are getting so many calls,” and I was like, “Is there a rule that I’m breaking by wearing these shoes?” They said “no,” then I was like, “Okay I’m … getting ready for my citizenship test, and I’ve been studying really hard, and there&#8217;s 27 amendments, and my First Amendment is the greatest amendment, is the freedom of speech.” And I’m like, I know my rights; you cannot take my rights away from me. And I was like, “I don&#8217;t care if I get fined; I’m not going to take my shoes off.” And they told me, “We are not talking about fine, we are talking about getting banned.” I’m like, “Listen, I don&#8217;t care if you — whoever is your bosses, go tell them I’m ready to get banned. If I’m breaking any rules, tell me; I’ll be the first one to follow the rules, but if I’m not breaking any rules…”
Obviously, they came and apologized in half time, and they said “Sorry,” but I was like, “I’m not breaking any rules; I’m gonna do what I’m doing.”
AMANPOUR: So, do you think the NBA, therefore, has come to a different kind of understanding of all of this? Because back when the Houston Rockets official Daryl Morey, he tweeted, all he did was tweet in support of pro-freedom and pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, and the NBA didn&#8217;t back Morey.
But subsequently, in the intervening time, they have said the NBA will not put itself in a position of regulating what players, employees, and team owners say or will not say on these issues. We simply could not operate that way. So, you must be satisfied with their stance.
KANTER: Let me just tell you this first. NBA made me do this, because every time, when one of the NBA teams or the commissioner came out and speak, they say, we are encouraging our players to talk about whatever they want to talk about; we are giving the freedom to our players to talk about all the injustices happening around the world, all the human rights abuse around the world. So, they give me this right; they told me to do this, basically.
But the other thing is obviously I sit down with people from the NBA, and I even sit down with Adam Silver, and had a conversation, and I told him, Adam, listen, am I breaking any rules? Because if I’m breaking any rules, please tell me, I’ll be the first one to follow every NBA rule because NBA gave me what I have and I don&#8217;t want to break any kind of rules that you guys have put on. He said, “No, you&#8217;re not breaking any rules.” Well, I told them, is the NBA against China? Is NBA and Adam Silver and the all the organizations … all the teams and owners, are they supporting Enes Kanter? He told me, “Yes, we are supporting you against China.”
So that is one. The second thing is, you know, I don&#8217;t know how much that is true because if they were really supporting me, they would have put something out there, they … would put like some kind of statement … because I told Adam this, too: our team games, the Boston Celtics games, are banned in China, and this is unacceptable just because I talk about the human rights violence [that are happening] over there. People think I do politics; I don&#8217;t do politics. I do human rights.
AMANPOUR: I just want to make sure, you&#8217;re not saying the NBA gave you the green light to say this stuff; you&#8217;re just saying that their rules are that freedom of expression is an American right, or are you saying they specifically gave you the green light? … So not specifically, but just the general commitment to freedom of speech, right?
KANTER: Right, yes.</blockquote>

Enes Kanter Shoes

Kanter Blasts NBA, Claims He Was Asked To Remove ‘Free Tibet’ Sneakers For Fear Of Being ‘Banned’

Xi Jinping

On Friday, after Boston Celtics player Enes Kanter posted a video to his social media accounts in which he defended Taiwan’s sovereignty, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen responded.
“Thank you, Enes, for standing with Taiwan. We will always defend our hard-earned freedom and democracy,” the president said. “And the support from you and our friends around the world gives us strength. Taiwan is also home to many basketball fans, and we are all rooting for you.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none">
Thank you <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesKanter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EnesKanter</a> for standing with <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Taiwan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Taiwan</a> &amp; standing up for democracy. <a href="https://t.co/DNBJfMiSvl">pic.twitter.com/DNBJfMiSvl</a>
— 蔡英文 Tsai Ing-wen (@iingwen) <a href="https://twitter.com/iingwen/status/1459364677402591240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
Kanter <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CWOL8jwgNKV/?utm_medium=copy_link">shared</a> Tsai’s video on his Instagram, captioning it: “What an honor! Thank you to the president of Taiwan [Tsai Ing-wen] for your kind words. I can’t wait to come visit your beautiful country, learn about Taiwanese culture, taste some of your delicious food, and meet the brave people of Taiwan. We are stronger when we stand together.”
He capped off his response with an emoji of the Taiwanese flag.
Kanter said the following in his Friday video:
<blockquote>Taiwan is not a part of China. Taiwan is a democratic and free country — and I stand with Taiwan. Did you know that even though Taiwan has their own history, their own government … their own elections, their own everything, Xi Jinping is stuck in his own world, claims Taiwan is a part of China, and [constantly] threatens to invade Taiwan. The country&#8217;s 24 million Taiwanese people just want to live peacefully and freely. They cherish freedom, human rights, and democracy. Taiwan is a force for good. What the Chinese government is doing to Taiwan is even more proof that Xi Jinping and the Chinese regime are a threat to freedoms everywhere. We see what they are doing to Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers. Taiwan is now at the frontlines against China&#8217;s dictatorship.
My message to all freedom supporters watching this today is: We are stronger together. We must all stand with Taiwan, support Taiwan, and defend democracy. We must keep Taiwan free and safe. Taiwan is already independent, and I believe and hope the country will be free and democratic forever. The future of Taiwan must be determined by the Taiwanese people.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My message to all freedom supporters watching this today is:
We are stronger together. 
We must all <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandWithTaiwan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandWithTaiwan</a>, 
support Taiwan, and defend democracy. 
We must keep Taiwan free and safe.
Taiwan belongs to the TAIWANESE people!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IslandOfResilience?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IslandOfResilience</a> <a href="https://t.co/r925kNm2fY">pic.twitter.com/r925kNm2fY</a>
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesKanter/status/1459190235565371397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
Kanter has long been a vocal critic of his home nation’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. However, the Celtics player has recently come out swinging against China.
In mid-October, Kanter released a video calling on the Chinese Communist Party and President Xi Jinping to “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/celtics-games-pulled-in-china-after-enes-kanters-message-for-brutal-dictator-of-china">free Tibet</a>.” He followed that initial post with another in which he spoke out against Uyghur Muslim enslavement in China, and referred to Xi as a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-doubles-down-calls-on-heartless-dictator-of-china-to-free-the-uyghur-people">heartless dictator</a>.”
“Heartless dictator of China, Xi Jinping, and the Communist Party of China, I’m calling you out right now in front of the whole world,” Kanter said. “Close down the slave labor camps and free the Uyghur people. Stop the genocide now.”
The Celtics player has also called out fellow Muslim athletes over their silence, as well as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-goes-after-nike-invites-lebron-james-and-michael-jordan-to-visit-slave-labor-camps">Nike and LeBron James</a>.

Tsai Ing-wen

Taiwan President Thanks Enes Kanter After Athlete Says Taiwan ‘At The Frontlines Against China’s Dictatorship’

Taiwan

&nbsp;
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter has released another statement condemning China for its human rights violations.
This time, Kanter spoke about China’s treatment of Taiwan, insisting the island nation is “not a part of China.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
My message to all freedom supporters watching this today is:
We are stronger together. 
We must all <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StandWithTaiwan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#StandWithTaiwan</a>, 
support Taiwan, and defend democracy. 
We must keep Taiwan free and safe.
Taiwan belongs to the TAIWANESE people!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IslandOfResilience?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IslandOfResilience</a> <a href="https://t.co/r925kNm2fY">pic.twitter.com/r925kNm2fY</a>
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesKanter/status/1459190235565371397?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 12, 2021</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>“Taiwan is a democratic and free country, and I stand with Taiwan,” Kanter added in a video posted to Twitter. “Did you know that even though Taiwan has their own history, their own government, their own land, their own elections, their own everything, Xi Jinping is stuck in his own world.”
“[Jinping] claims Taiwan is a part of China and consistently threatens to invade Taiwan,” Kanter continued. “The country’s 24 million Taiwanese people just want to live peacefully and freely. They cherish freedom, human rights, and democracy. Taiwan is a force for good.”
“What the Chinese government is doing to Taiwan is even more proof that Xi Jinping and the Chinese regime are a threat to freedoms everywhere,” Kanter added. “We see what they are doing to Tibetans, to Uyghurs, Hong Kongers. Taiwan is now at the frontlines against China’s dictatorship.”
Finally, Kanter delivered a message to everyone watching: “My message to all freedom supporters watching this today is we are stronger together. We must all stand with Taiwan, support Taiwan, and defend democracy. We must keep Taiwan free and safe. Taiwan is already independent and I believe and hope the country will be free and democratic forever. The future of Taiwan must be determined by the Taiwanese people.”
As The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-doubles-down-calls-on-heartless-dictator-of-china-to-free-the-uyghur-people">reported</a>, Kanter has released multiple videos calling out the Chinese Communist regime’s human rights violations, including a video in late October where he called Chinese President Jinping a “heartless dictator.”
“Right now as I speak this message, torture, rape, forced abortions, sterilizations, family separations, arbitrary detentions, concentration camps, political reeducation, forced labor,” Kanter said. “This is all happening right now to more than 1.8 million Uyghurs in the Xinjiang region in northwestern China.”
“Uyghurs are a Turkish Muslim ethnic group, native to Uyghur region,” Kanter continued. “The Chinese government has been taking sweeping measures to crackdown on the Uyghur people simply because they embrace their own religion, their own culture, language, history and identity. The Uyghur region has become an open-air prison and surveillance state where freedoms are non-existent for the Uyghur people.”
In <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-goes-after-nike-invites-lebron-james-and-michael-jordan-to-visit-slave-labor-camps">an earlier video</a>, Kanter called out Nike and invited LeBron James and Michael Jordan to visit China’s “slave labor camps.”
“Your company says that you’re making a positive impact in our communities,” Kanter said. “And that is true. Yes, you are. Here, in the United States, Nike stands with Black Lives Matter. Nike stands with Stop Asian Hate. Nike stands with the Latino community. And Nike stands with the LGBTQ community … But when it comes to China, Nike remains silent.”
“You do not address [police brutality] in China, you do not speak about discrimination against the LGBTQ community, you do not say a word about the oppression of minorities in China. You are scared to speak up,” he added.
.

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