Enes Kanter Freedom suggested on Tuesday that he ought to put on a wig, change his name to &#8220;Enisha,&#8221; and try out for the WNBA in order to force the league&#8217;s hand when it came to the acceptance of trans-identifying athletes.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ex-nba-player-enes-kanter-freedom-to-run-for-political-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedom</a> spoke with &#8220;America&#8217;s Newsroom&#8221; anchors Bill Hemmer and Dana Perino about the issue, suggesting that people might finally wake up and be outraged when they saw a biological male not only taking a team spot from a biological female but <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/riley-gaines-blows-up-claims-she-used-lia-thomas-tie-to-boost-media-career" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dominating</a> in professional <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mediocre-lift-by-a-mediocre-male-man-claiming-womanhood-slammed-after-breaking-womens-powerlifting-record" target="_blank" rel="noopener">women&#8217;s sports</a>.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Enes Kanter Freedom floats idea of throwing on a wig, renaming himself &quot;Eneshia,&quot; and claiming he&#39;s a woman to force the WNBA to sign him to make an anti-trans athlete statement.
&quot;Maybe I should do it and it will show my point, actually. I will average 60 points.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/IODvvEgoVy">pic.twitter.com/IODvvEgoVy</a>
&mdash; Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) <a href="https://twitter.com/justinbaragona/status/1691467132192555008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 15, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Would that be fair?&#8221; Freedom asked. &#8220;I am seven foot, two hundred and seventy pounds, and if I decided to identify myself as a woman and decided to play WNBA, put on a wig and I change my name to — just say Enisha — would that be fair to all the women, you know, who were chasing their dreams since they were a little kid?&#8221;
&#8220;Where are all the women&#8217;s rights activists?&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Where are all the feminists? &#8230; It&#8217;s just very interesting why this should even be a debate.&#8221;
Freedom doubled down on his comments with an X post featuring a photo of himself, clearly photoshopped, wearing a wig and a smile.
&#8220;I&#8217;m identifying myself as a woman! Lol,&#8221; he posted. &#8220;From now on y&#8217;all can call me ENISHA Freedom. I&#8217;m 7 foot and 270 pounds biological male who wants to compete in women sports. Hey, @WNBA, are you hiring?&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1691837172997000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3L5AES424lnmUopfduGAIe">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1691480511082827776
Freedom started the conversation with a post from his X account on Friday, where he made a similar suggestion.
https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1690035714165968896
&#8220;Men don’t belong in women’s spaces. Restrooms &#8211; Locker Rooms or Sports. Since I’m blackballed from the @NBA, should I put on a wig, identify as a woman and start dominating the @WNBA?&#8221; he posted. &#8220;Is that when the outrage will begin? Is that fair to all the women who spent their whole life chasing their goals? Where are all the Women Rights Activists and Feminists?!&#8221;

The Algemeiner 50th Anniversary J100 Gala

‘Y’all Can Call Me Enisha’: Enes Kanter Freedom Threatens To Don A Wig And Join The WNBA

Enes Kanter Freedom Threatens To Don A Wig And Join The WNBA

Basketball

Enes Kanter Freedom

Sports

Transgender Athletes

U.S.

WNBA

Former NBA player and anti-CCP activist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/enes-kanter-freedom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enes Kanter Freedom</a> said during an interview Thursday that he plans to run for Congress one day.
Kanter Freedom told Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo that his passion is advocating for the &#8220;millions of people in concentration camps&#8221; in communist China who are &#8220;getting tortured and raped every day.&#8221;
When asked by Bartiromo if he had &#8220;any interest in running for public office,&#8221; Kanter Freedom responded, &#8220;I actually do. I actually do, yes.&#8221;
&#8220;I would actually when the time is right,&#8221; he said. &#8220;And shout out to, you know, whoever is out there listening. Yes, of course I would love to.&#8221;
When asked if he was in the process of making plans to run for office, Kanter Freedom responded, &#8220;Yes.&#8221;
When asked if he was starting to raise money, he responded, &#8220;Not yet. I haven&#8217;t started yet. But I started to have conversations with some of my friends and members of Congress.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a>
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Enes Kanter Freedom considers run for public office: &#039;When the time is right&#039;" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_sEKs98BdjM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
TRANSCRIPT:
<blockquote>MARIA BARTIROMO, FBN ANCHOR: Well, that was U.S. State Department Spokesperson Ned Price yesterday on the growing relationship and challenges between China and Russia for the United States. The president announced nearly $500 million in additional aid for Ukraine during his surprise visit to Kyiv on Monday.
Joining us right now to weigh in on the China threat is former NBA star, activist, Enes Kanter Freedom.
And, Enes, it&#8217;s great to have you.
ENES KANTER FREEDOM, FORMER NBA STAR: Thank you for having me. I appreciate that.
BARTIROMO: Thank you so much for being here.
You&#8217;ve been so incredibly courageous in calling out what you see as the China threat. Where do you see that today? What&#8217;s your biggest concern when it comes to China? And why did you put your whole career on the line to make sure to educate the world about it?
FREEDOM: Because, unfortunately, none of my colleagues was willing to go out there and speak the truth, you know, because while we are talking right now, there is a genocide happening. There are millions of people in concentration camps getting tortured and raped every day.
And whenever I had a conversation with one of my teammates and I was like, listen, just join me, we&#8217;ll create this big movement and we’ll talk about the human rights violations over there. Not anything political, but human rights violations. They said, we have shoe deals, we have endorsement deals, and we have jersey sales.
BARTIROMO: Unbelievable.
FREEDOM: I asked them one simple question. I was like, put yourself in their shoes. If your mother, if your sister, or if your daughter was in those concentration camps getting tortured and raped every day, would you still pick money and business over your morals, values, and principles? They’d usually turn around and leave the room.
BARTIROMO: You are a great man. I&#8217;ll tell you, Enes, that took such courage.
What I&#8217;m worried about, Mike Baker, is the fact that it’s not just the concentration camps and these women and girls getting raped, it’s also the way China behaves on the global stage to everybody else.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
BARTIROMO: Look what they&#8217;re doing for America with the surveillance balloon, COVID-19 coverup. And look what just happened, Enes, the NBA announces a partnership with Chinese fin tech giant, Ant Group.
FREEDOM: I did hear that.
BARTIROMO: I should point out that the founder of Ant Group was disappeared by the CCP a year ago.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
BARTIROMO: The NBA wants to work on producing video content with Ant Group making digital collectibles, Enes.
FREEDOM: I mean, it&#8217;s not a secret that NBA is pretty much China&#8217;s lap dog right now and they’re going to do whatever they can to, you know, strengthen their relationship with the &#8212; China and China&#8217;s governments. And they are going to talk about all the social justice problems that are happening in America because they know that it&#8217;s not going to hit their pocket. But as soon as the things that they — they talk about is going to affect their money and business or if anyone talks about it, they&#8217;re going to try to do everything they can to silence them. And it is unacceptable.
MIKE BAKER (ph): You&#8217;re absolutely right when you — I mean, you point out the treatment of the Uyghurs.
FREEDOM: Yes.
BAKER: You talk about the crushing of the last vestiges of democracy in Hong Kong.
FREEDOM: Yes.
BAKER: You talk about the constant economic espionage, the theft of intellectual property that goes on, the increasing aggression in the South Pacific. All these various elements that they&#8217;re engaged in.
But, you know, the NBA essentially acts just like every other major U.S. corporation. They&#8217;re all willing to turn and look the other way because everyone&#8217;s chasing that dollar in China.
FREEDOM: Yes.
BAKER: That — that massive market.
FREEDOM: You know, I was talking to John (ph), the more I research, the more I realize it&#8217;s not only NBA. You see Hollywood. You see big (INAUDIBLE).
BARTIROMO: Oh, yes.
FREEDOM: You see Wall Street. You see farmland (ph). So it’s just getting worse and worse.
BARTIROMO: Academia.
FREEDOM: And academia, there you go. It’s just getting worse and worse every day.
Go ahead.
JOHN LEVINE (ph): Well, the strategy is co-option (ph).
FREEDOM: Yes.
LEVINE: I mean, and China doesn&#8217;t just do this in the United States. They also do it around the world in countries they operate in. They target, you know, elite figures in academia, in politics, in science, the arts, sports.
FREEDOM: Yes. Yes.
LEVINE: You know, we’ve all — obviously the NBA as you’ve — as you’ve noted, is completely in their pocket. But it’s not just them.
FREEDOM: Yes.
LEVINE: You also see Hollywood, which is, you know, completely, you know, bowing to the whims of the Chinese Communist Party and the content they’re producing.
BARTIROMO: And corporate America.
LEVINE: And perhaps even our own government —
BARTIROMO: Yes.
LEVINE: With Hunter Biden and — and why was Joe Biden&#8217;s response to the Chinese balloon so tepid and so — and so mealymouthed? And then you — you see Hunter’s business deals operating in the background there. We don’t really know, so.
BAKER: Good use of the word tepid.
LEVINE: Thank you.
BAKER: Enes, I&#8217;ve got one question.
FREEDOM: Of course.
BAKER: And I apologize for asking this. Has there been a moment since you&#8217;ve been engaged in essentially this effort to raise awareness, has there been a moment where you’ve stepped back and you thought, you know, maybe I shouldn&#8217;t have done this, maybe I should have focused on my career?
FREEDOM: You know, a lot of people actually ask me this question. You know, you lost millions of dollars. You lost your career and stuff. But people need to understand, this is bigger than myself. This is bigger than NBA. This is bigger than basketball.
Whenever I sit down and have a conversation with this (INAUDIBLE), Hong Kongers, Taiwanese people, Uyghurs and Mongolians and (INAUDIBLE), and if I — whenever I hear what they’re going through, I was like, you know what, this is just bigger than basketball, man.
BARTIROMO: Yes.
FREEDOM: I cannot just stay silent.
BARTIROMO: And that&#8217;s why you posted a tweet taking a jab at LeBron, OK.
FREEDOM: Yes.
BARTIROMO: So you&#8217;re — you’re tweeting and LeBron James over his new $1 billion partnership with Nike.
FREEDOM: Yes.
BARTIROMO: He — you know, Nike hasn&#8217;t said anything about the Uyghur situation. Tell me about this billion-dollar deal and what you put on this — on this tweet. Zero morals, zero values, zero principles, zero empathy, one bow down to China, congratulations King James.
FREEDOM: So, I — I put this tweet out there when he become the — you know, the most scoring —
BAKER: Scoring champion.
FREEDOM: Yes, scoring champion.
But I want to talk about Nike first because when you look at Nike, in America they stand with Black Lives Matter, no Asian hates, LGBTQ community, Latino community. But when it comes to China, I mean everybody knows about the slave labors and sweat shops, you know.
BAKER: Yes.
FREEDOM: And LeBron just became a billionaire, I believe, like a couple months ago. And what else do you want? Go out there and talk about what’s &#8212; he has three kids. And think about your &#8212; put your kids in their shoes, you know? They&#8217;re making this &#8212; there&#8217;s so much oppression, there’s so much blood and sweat behind those shoes that you&#8217;ve been wearing every time you go out there and play basketball.
BARTIROMO: Yes, what a great point.
MARK TEPPER, CEO, STRATEGIC WEALTH PARTNERS: Yes, it&#8217;s a fantastic point. And I&#8217;m wondering, you know, LeBron holds himself out as an activist himself.
FREEDOM: Oh, geez.
TEPPER: You know, he does his &#8212; his podcasts and things like that.
FREEDOM: Yes.
BAKER: Right.
TEPPER: And he acts like he is an activist. And he&#8217;s probably, you know, he&#8217;s veering outside of his lane. But how can you hold yourself out there as an activist when you are turning a blind eye to the genocide and the slavery in China? Why is it OK —
BARTIROMO: Is it all BS?
TEPPER: For slavery in China to be — to be a thing?
FREEDOM: Well, because, the things that he talks about in America is not going to affect his money or business.
TEPPER: Yes.
FREEDOM: You know, it’s not going to affect his jersey sales or shoe sales, whatever.
And I was actually having a conversation with one of the — one of his teammates, and he said, whatever he&#8217;s doing, he does not care about, he just wants to do his own PR, you know?
TEPPER: I believe that. I believe that.
BARTIROMO: Enes, do you have any interest in running for office, public office?
FREEDOM: I actually do. I actually do, yes.
BARTIROMO: Nice. Nice.
FREEDOM: That will be very interesting because, I mean —
BARTIROMO: What would you like to do? You&#8217;d like to — like to be a member of Congress?
FREEDOM: I would actually when the time is right. And shout out to, you know, whoever is out there listening. Yes, of course I would love to.
BAKER: How would you feel about taking on the job of secretary of transportation?
FREEDOM: You actually — interesting. I like that. I saw the video yesterday.
BARTIROMO: No, no, but, look, hold on, are you &#8212; are you right now making plans to run for public office?
FREEDOM: Yes. Yes, I do. Yes.
BARTIROMO: Are you raising money?
FREEDOM: Not yet. I haven&#8217;t started yet. But I started to have conversations with some my friends and members of Congress.
BARTIROMO: Terrific.
Enes, thanks very much for breaking the news on this program.
BAKER: A principled man.
FREEDOM: Thank you guys so much. I appreciate it.
BARTIROMO: Great to see you, sirs. Enes Kanter Freedom, you are a superstar, so courageous.
FREEDOM: Thank you. Thank you for having me.</blockquote>

Portland Trail Blazers v Boston Celtics

Ex-NBA Player Enes Kanter Freedom To Run For Political Office

Congress

Politics

After LeBron James broke the record for all-time scoring in the NBA on Tuesday night, former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom, who has blasted James for his political stances before, launched a blistering attack on James on social media.
James scored 38 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder; raising his career total to 38,390, surpassing the previous total of 38,387 held by six-time MVP and Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
“38,388 Points 0 Morals 0 Values 0 Principles 0 Empathy 1 Bow Down to #China,” Kanter Freedom — who changed his last name to Freedom when he gained U.S. citizenship in 2021 — tweeted on Wednesday morning. “Congratulations to @KingJames.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
38,388 Points 0 Morals 0 Values 0 Principles 0 Empathy 1 Bow Down to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/China?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#China</a>
Congratulations to <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@KingJames</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1623185037737730049?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
“People get mad when I speak the truth because I&#8217;m the only athlete who actually speaks the truth,” Kanter Freedom added. “I don’t care about your endorsement deals or your dirty money. You can NOT buy me #CCP!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
People get mad when I speak the truth because I’m the only athlete who actually speaks the truth. I don’t care about your endorsement deals or your dirty money.
You can NOT buy me <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CCP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CCP</a>!
Don’t expect me to respect you or your game when your shoes are literally made by SLAVE KIDS
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1623339669961207810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 8, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Kanter Freedom, who originally hailed from Turkey, referred to James’ reticence to criticize China, which has been widely criticized for its brutal treatment of the Uyghur Muslims.
In 2019, then-Houston Rockers general manager Daryl Morey tweeted his support for protesters in Hong Kong, sharing a photo that read, “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.”
Chinese Central Television (CCTV) suspended NBA broadcasts for over two years.
James <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27847951/daryl-morey-was-misinformed-sending-tweet-china-hong-kong">chimed in</a> after Morey’s actions, “Yes, we do have freedom of speech. But at times, there are ramifications for the negative that can happen when you&#8217;re not thinking about others, when you only think about yourself. I don&#8217;t want to get into a word or sentence feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he wasn&#8217;t educated on the situation at hand, and he spoke.”
“So many people could have been harmed, not only financially but physically, emotionally, spiritually,” James continued. “So just be careful what we tweet and what we say and what we do, even though yes, we do have freedom of speech  but there can be a lot of negative that comes with that.”
“I believe he was either misinformed or not really educated on the situation, and if he was, then so be it. I have no idea, but that’ s just my belief. Because when you say things or do things, if you are doing it and you know the people that can be affected by it and the families and individuals and everyone that can be affected by it, sometimes things can be changed as well. And also sometimes social media is not always the proper way to go about things as well, but that&#8217;s just my belief,” he concluded.
Freedom targeted James in October 2021 over his 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. “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.”
In November 2021, Kanter Freedom slammed James, tweeting, “Money over Morals for the ‘King’ Crown. Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice. 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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At the end of November 2021, Kanter 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">stated</a>, “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.”
Related: <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-rips-lebron-james-will-shut-up-and-dribble-when-big-boss-china-says-so/">Enes Kanter Rips LeBron James: Will ‘Shut Up And Dribble’ When ‘Big Boss’ China Says So</a>

Cleveland Cavaliers v New York Knicks

‘38,388 Points, 0 Morals, 0 Values … 1 Bow Down To China’: Kanter Freedom Bashes LeBron After He Breaks Record

Kanter Freedom Bashes LeBron After He Breaks Record

China

LeBron James

The government of Turkey has put a $530,000 bounty on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/enes-kanter" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enes Kanter Freedom</a>, the pro-America former NBA star who has been an outspoken advocate of human rights.
The athlete, who was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents, has been an outspoken critic of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-biden-tells-turkish-president-erdogan-he-will-recognize-armenian-genocide/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">President Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>, prompting Ankara to brand him a “terrorist” and offer the reward for anyone who helps put him behind bars.  Freedom has referred to the strongman as the “Hitler of our century.”
&#8220;Because of my platform, whenever I say something, it goes everywhere, and the Turkish government hates that,&#8221; <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/12/ex-nba-star-enes-kanter-has-500k-turkish-bounty-on-his-head/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedom told the New York Post</a>. &#8220;They’re really sick of it, and they said, ‘Enough is enough,’ and doing whatever they can to shut me up.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Former NBA player Enes Freedom is now a wanted “Terrorist” in Turkey for speaking out against the government and has a $500,000 bounty on his head 😳 <a href="https://t.co/HFyD5NLxHG">pic.twitter.com/HFyD5NLxHG</a>
&mdash; Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyLoud/status/1614022921978105856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In a separate interview, Freedom, who legally changed his name from Enes Kanter and became a U.S. citizen in 2021, said Ankara regularly puts the lives of dissidents in danger.
“I’m not the only one,” Freedom <a href="https://www.turkishminute.com/2023/01/10/activist-nba-player-enes-kanter-freedom-has-a-bounty-on-his-head/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told the Turkish Minute</a>. “There are so many innocent journalists, academics, athletes, activists, and educators on this list. Now their lives are in danger because of the Turkish government.”
<a href="https://get.dailywire.com/breakaways/subscribe?cid=breakaways&amp;mid=n&amp;xid=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK TO WATCH THE DAILY WIRE&#8217;S BREAKAWAYS EPISODE HOSTED BY ALLISON WILLIAMS FEATURING KANTER FREEDOM</a>
In addition to criticizing his homeland, Freedom has blasted the NBA for its close dealings with China. He has clashed with NBA superstar LeBron James, who has been highly critical of the U.S., particularly during the Trump administration, but has defended Beijing’s human rights record. Freedom’s supporters believe his willingness to call out the league is the reason the 30-year-old athlete has not been on a team for over a year.
In 2021, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-willing-to-have-very-uncomfortable-conversation-with-lebron-james-on-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Freedom criticized James</a> and others for staying silent on China, where Uyghur slaves are used to manufacture shoes and apparel, while they “pretend they care about social justice.”
“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,” Freedom said. “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 [their] grandkids and [their] grandkids can have the best life ever.”
Freedom has played 11 seasons in the NBA, with stints playing for the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trailblazers, and, most recently, the Boston Celtics in 2021-22. The six-foot, 10-inch center has averaged 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game and earned over $100 million. He was the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft.
Freedom played for the Turkish national team from 2008-2015, but later became disillusioned with the country, which has become more authoritarian under Erdogan.
Freedom told the Post he fears the bounty will make him a target of anyone wishing to collect a fortune.
“That makes it so dangerous,” Freedom said. “Before the bounty, Turkish intelligence was after the people on the list, but now everyone is after them because they want the money.”

Los Angeles Clippers vs Boston Celtics

Turkey Puts Bounty On America-Loving Ex-NBA Star Enes Kanter Freedom

World

Nearly a year after Allison Williams left ESPN following her refusal to bow to Disney’s COVID vaccine mandate, the celebrated sports reporter is launching her new show on DailyWire+.
In “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/break-aways" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BreakAways</a>,” an original eight-part series, Williams sits down with athletes, coaches, and sports entrepreneurs who stood firm in their convictions despite immense media scrutiny, fear of losing their jobs, and even pressure from totalitarian countries.
After being denied a religious accommodation request, Williams could have accepted defeat. Instead, she received a phone call from Ben Shapiro, and the wheels were set in motion for a new chapter in her career.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="YouTube video player" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r1UEfv-48H8" width="720" height="385" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">﻿</iframe>
Over the course of eight episodes, Williams speaks with the likes of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/enes-kanter-freedom-truth-to-power" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Enes Kanter Freedom</a>, whose career was cut short after he spoke out against communist China; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/jonathan-isaac-stand-tall-with-faith" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jonathan Isaac</a> of the Orlando Magic, who refused to kneel during the national anthem despite intense pressure to do so; and former Washington State coach <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/nick-rolovich-undefeated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nick Rolovich</a>, who, like Williams, balked at a COVID vaccine mandate.
Following Williams’ exit from ESPN and decision to partner with DailyWire+, she penned an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/espn-forced-me-out-over-their-vaccine-mandate-heres-why-i-stood-my-ground" target="_blank" rel="noopener">op-ed</a> in which she expressed her gratitude, and noted the importance of holding true to one’s convictions.
“I’m grateful for the door opened by Daily Wire in allowing me to continue to do what I love. To share stories through sports. It becomes increasingly important, as the government and corporations like Disney, for their own reasons or the reasons of shareholders or political pressures, cease to uphold the values which are integral to our nation,” Williams wrote. “It gives me hope, not in the continued divide between those that choose to vaccinate and those that do not, but that there is a growing number who continue to believe and uphold the individual’s freedom to choose. Take heart and continue to stand up.”
The first four episodes of “BreakAways,” as well as a short about Allison Williams herself, are available right <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/break-aways" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> on DailyWire+.
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

BreakAways with Allison Williams

Allison Williams Launches Sports Docuseries ‘BreakAways’ On DailyWire+

Allison Williams

Jonathan Isaac

Vaccine Mandate

Enes Kanter Freedom, the fervently pro-America NBA center who has steadfastly spoken out against the Communist Chinese regime in China, slammed NBA star LeBron James after James made a comment regarding WNBA star Brittney Griner that appeared to slam America.
Griner has been detained in Russia on drug charges; she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wnba-superstar-brittney-griner-pleads-guilty-to-russian-drug-charges-admission-could-pave-way-for-swap?itm_source=parsely-api?utm_campaign=daily_shapiro&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=housefile&amp;utm_content=daily">pled</a> guilty to bringing hashish oil into Russia.
“Now, how can she feel like America has her back?” James said of Griner. “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?&#8217;”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
LeBron James says if he were Brittney Griner, he&#39;d question returning to the United States. <a href="https://t.co/f8y7bKtoZk">https://t.co/f8y7bKtoZk</a>
&mdash; TMZ (@TMZ) <a href="https://twitter.com/TMZ/status/1546897635780562950?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
After James was harshly criticized, he tweeted, “My comments on ‘The Shop’ regarding Brittney Griner wasn’t knocking our beautiful country. I was simply saying how she’s probably feeling emotionally along with so many other emotions, thoughts, etc inside that cage she’s been in for over 100+ days!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
My comments on “The Shop” regarding Brittney Griner wasn’t knocking our beautiful country. I was simply saying how she’s probably feeling emotionally along with so many other emotions, thoughts, etc inside that cage she’s been in for over 100+ days! Long story short <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BringHerHome?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BringHerHome</a>
&mdash; LeBron James (@KingJames) <a href="https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1547031202611154944?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Enes Kanter Freedom, who had changed his last name to Freedom, as he acknowledged, “That was the word that I fought for my whole life,” <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2022/07/03/enes-kanter-freedom-calls-adam-silver-hypocrite-nba-pushing-retirement/">fired</a> at James, “You call it a step back, we call this a walk back. You are free to leave buddy or you can even volunteer for an exchange for her. Some people literally have NO idea what is it like to live in a dictatorship. Keep taking your freedom for granted.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
You call it a step back, we call this a walk back. 
You are free to leave buddy or you can even volunteer for an exchange for her. 
Some people literally have NO idea what is it like to live in a dictatorship.
Keep taking your freedom for granted. <a href="https://t.co/RG28O6co1E">https://t.co/RG28O6co1E</a> <a href="https://t.co/QqpPuLrB72">pic.twitter.com/QqpPuLrB72</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1547036788681854978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 13, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last October, Freedom called on the Chinese government to “Free Tibet,” ripping China’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,” <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/i-will-never-take-for-granted-the-freedoms-that-i-have-here-enes-kanter-freedom-reacts-to-letter-from-former-president/">The Daily Wire</a> reported. “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.”
The following month, he officially became a U.S. citizen, prompting a letter from former President of the United States George W. Bush congratulating him.
“What an honor! Huge thanks to 43rd president of the U.S. George W. Bush,” Freedom tweeted.“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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
In February, Freedom <a href="https://www.aei.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/FINAL-Freedom-Transcript-2.10.22-1.pdf">spoke with Marc Thiessen</a> of the American Enterprise Institute about his long-standing criticism of China.
“Many of the athletes, or not just from the NBA, but all around every league, or coaches or people who has anything to do with sports, are scared to support me out loud,” Freedom commented.  Whenever I have a conversation privately, they&#8217;re like, ‘Listen, man. You know, we love you. We support you. We&#8217;re going to pray for you. But we just cannot do it out loud.’ And I was like, ‘Okay.’”
“Why is it, do you think, that so few athletes are speaking out?” Thiessen asked.
“Fear,” Freedom answered. “I think they care too much about their jersey sales, their shoe sales, endorsement deals, their next contract with whatever organization or association they&#8217;re playing with. The business that they&#8217;re going to lose. I grew up as knowing that there are bigger things than money in business. That&#8217;s what my family always taught me.”
“Every time I talk to an athlete, I have said this,” Freedom declared. “Think about this. If your mother, if your father, if your sister, if your daughter, if your wife was on those concentration camps right now in China, getting tortured and raped every day, would you still remain silent? Would you still go to that country and compete and be part of the propaganda?”
“I have not seen one person, or I have not seen one athlete, that answer me that question. They are staying silent. They are not saying yes or no. They just remain silent because they know it&#8217;s a shame,” he charged, adding, “All the gold medals in the world that you champion is not more important than your morals, your principle and your values. It&#8217;s not worth it. It&#8217;s not worth selling your morals to a country like China.”
Asked if he was concerned he would pay a personal price for your outspokenness when his contract came up for renewal, Freedom responded:
<blockquote>I&#8217;ve been in communication with so many people around the league, and especially my ex-teammates and my assistant coaches. They&#8217;re like, “Listen, man, we love you. So we have to tell you the truth. This is your farewell tour. Enjoy it. Smile. Have fun with it. I hope you win a championship, because I don&#8217;t think you are going to get another contract after this year, because the things that you talk about cost them millions of dollars.”</blockquote>

‘You Are Free To Leave Buddy’: NBA’s Enes Kanter Freedom Rips LeBron James After Comments About America

Former NBA Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom said on Tuesday that he&#8217;s considering a move to Florida after meeting with Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Freedom shared the words in a Twitter post alongside DeSantis on Tuesday.
&#8220;It was a pleasure to meet with @GovRonDeSantis,&#8221; Freedom wrote. &#8220;Huge thanks for your support and friendship. I’ll definitely consider your offer to move to Florida.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It was a pleasure to meet with <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GovRonDeSantis</a> 
Huge thanks for your support and friendship.
I’ll definitely consider your offer to move to Florida 😄 <a href="https://t.co/pMPwt6YAgw">pic.twitter.com/pMPwt6YAgw</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1518979557272997891?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Freedom, who was born in Switzerland and raised in his family&#8217;s native country of Turkey, has become known as an outspoken advocate of freedom.
The NBA star has faced opposition from his own nation of Turkey after he began speaking out on freedom-related issues. Turkey revoked his passport and jailed his father when he started speaking against his home country’s government.
The controversy sparked international attention as his passport was revoked, putting Freedom&#8217;s eligibility for NBA games in Canada into question, but the Canadian government allowed him to travel to the country.
The Boston Celtics player legally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-enes-kanter-to-change-last-name-to-freedom">changed</a> his last name to “Freedom” in 2021 as he prepared to become an American citizen in November 2021.
“People should feel very lucky and blessed to be in a country like America where there’s human rights,” The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-deals-blow-to-china-wears-free-uyghurs-shirt-in-olympic-ad" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> Freedom saying in February. “And obviously, America is having her own problems. But change can only happen in America with freedom of speech. And without freedom, we cannot do anything.”
Freedom has met with other American political leaders in recent weeks as well. On Sunday, he was spotted in a picture with North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer and North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley.
&#8220;Honored to meet this selfless and courageous #humanrights advocate,&#8221; Wrigley wrote.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This was a treat…my pal <a href="https://twitter.com/SenKevinCramer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SenKevinCramer</a> stopped in this week w/his friend <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EnesFreedom</a> . “People are people,” as they say… But some have extraordinary courage. Honored to meet this selfless and courageous <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/humanrights?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#humanrights</a> advocate💪🏻 <a href="https://t.co/wTMzRNduSZ">pic.twitter.com/wTMzRNduSZ</a>
&mdash; Drew H. Wrigley (@DrewWrigley) <a href="https://twitter.com/DrewWrigley/status/1518275940220080130?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Cramer also referred to Freedom&#8217;s account in a Twitter post last week.
&#8220;Every freedom-loving American should hear @EnesFreedom’s story,&#8221; the senator wrote. &#8220;His personal testimony serves as an example of how blessed we are to live in the U.S.&#8221;
Freedom also recently posted a picture of himself standing alongside former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
&#8220;It was a pleasure to meet and talk about foreign policy with @SecPompeo,&#8221; Freedom tweeted. &#8220;Huge thanks for your support and friendship.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
It was a pleasure to meet and talk about foreign policy with <a href="https://twitter.com/SecPompeo?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecPompeo</a> 
Huge thanks for your support and friendship. <a href="https://t.co/YJYSm2lAwN">pic.twitter.com/YJYSm2lAwN</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1518244975334633472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Despite his American citizenship, Freedom noted he is always under threat when traveling.
&#8220;There is always a threat. I have received many messages threatening my life. If I am going to a country, the first thing I do is get in touch with the government or services to make sure they provide me with security wherever I go. Erdogan’s people can be anywhere. The same will happen if I go to Greece, where I trust people,&#8221; he said during an <a href="https://www.thenationalherald.com/turkish-american-basketball-player-on-being-targeted-for-his-activism/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with the National Herald last week.

Enes Freedom

Enes Kanter Freedom Considers Move To Florida After Meeting With DeSantis

Boston

Florida

Ron DeSantis

Over the past year, Enes Kanter Freedom has spent more time in the news for his public opposition to China, and to governments around the world that commit human rights abuses, than he has for his play on the basketball court. 
Since the NBA trade deadline in February, Kanter Freedom has been without a team, traded from the Boston Celtics to the Houston Rockets and subsequently waived. 
Kanter Freedom has hinted that his release has something to do with being outspoken on China, a notion with which Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens disagrees. Stevens said the reason for the trade was to acquire center Daniel Theis, who is a better fit defensively. 
“I really liked having Enes on our team – he’s a good basketball player. When we decided to trade Enes, it was 1,000% a basketball decision,” Stevens <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/03/08/0308-bh-s-celtsnotes/">told</a> the Boston Herald. “Obviously the opportunity to bring Theis back with our defensive identity, and his mobility and the ability to play the way we wanted to as an eighth or ninth guy just made too much sense for us.&#8221;
“Enes is a good guy, he has a good heart,” Stevens added. 
On Sunday, Kanter Freedom jumped on Twitter to call the Celtics coaching staff “hypocrites” for wearing Ukrainian flag pins, claiming that Boston “begged” him to remove his custom shoes, which called out countries around the world for their human rights abuses. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
How is it fair when I wore shoes to bring awareness about Human Rights violations around the world, <a href="https://twitter.com/celtics?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Celtics</a> begged me to remove them and threatened to ban me, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Celtics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Celtics</a> now wear Ukrainian flag pins.
Who approved this <a href="https://twitter.com/nbpa?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBPA</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a>?
Who chooses whose lives are more important? <a href="https://t.co/NT8daMNB4e">https://t.co/NT8daMNB4e</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1500552688139972612?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Stevens also refuted that claim, saying that the Celtics supported Freedom’s choice to wear custom shoes for games. 
​​“Here’s exactly what happened,” Stevens <a href="https://www.bostonherald.com/2022/03/08/0308-bh-s-celtsnotes/">told</a> the Herald. “I was actually at home, and when he decided to wear the sneakers, there was some concern – and I didn’t even know until the end of the first quarter – that there was a potential uniform or dress code violation. I don’t know what was said – I can’t imagine that phrasing was said – but the question to me was what to do about Enes’ shoes. I said I think that he’s fine, and let me double check with the NBA to see if there’s any uniform violation. Double-checked, fine, and he wore those the rest of the game and he wore whatever he wanted the rest of the year. It’s interesting, because I feel really good that we truly sat here and supported him and his right to express himself and his freedom of speech, and I even told him the next day that you know I’ve always done that.&#8221;
“I talked to him the next day, and I said you know I’ve always supported your right to express yourself, to speak on whatever you speak on,” he continued. “Just let me know in advance, so I’m not checking on these things in the middle of the first quarter from my couch at home. We didn’t talk about anything after that, because we weren’t checking from that point forward. Wear whatever you want.”
In October 2021, Kanter Freedom began using his platform to advocate for human rights around the globe by calling on the Chinese government to “Free Tibet” and by criticizing the communist country’s “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’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.
Kanter Freedom has been particularly outspoken on the treatment of the Uyghur Muslims, calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping to “stop the genocide” of the Uyghur people.
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.

‘Wear Whatever You Want’: Brad Stevens Denies Kanter Freedom’s Claim That Celtics Asked Him To Remove Custom Shoes

Enes Kanter Freedom may not currently have an NBA team to play for, but he may have a Nobel Peace Prize to his name in the future.
On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/02/who-cares-human-rights-enes-kanter-freedom/622812/">The Atlantic</a> published a story detailing Kanter Freedom’s advocacy for human rights, and reported that “a member of the Norwegian Parliament put his name up for the Nobel Peace Prize.”
“I’m honored and humbled to received the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize,” Kanter Freedom said on Twitter. “Sometimes taking a stand is more important than your next paycheck.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
I’m honored and humbled to received the nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize. <a href="https://twitter.com/NobelPrize?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NobelPrize</a> 
Sometimes taking a stand is more important than your next paycheck.<a href="https://t.co/ZjAPiHUoaD">https://t.co/ZjAPiHUoaD</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1493986402077401090?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Last week, Kanter Freedom was traded from the Boston Celtics to the Houston Rockets, who quickly waived him. Kanter Freedom has yet to be picked up by another NBA team.
In October 2021, Kanter Freedom began using his platform to advocate for human rights across the world by calling on the Chinese government to “Free Tibet” and by criticizing the communist country’s “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’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.
Kanter Freedom has been particularly outspoken on the treatment of the Uyghur Muslims, calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping to “stop the genocide” of the Uyghur people.
He hasn&#8217;t been afraid to go against the face of the NBA, with Kanter Freedom taking to social media in November with a message for LeBron James.
“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?”
He later offered to sit down with James for 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.”
His campaign against China and its record on human rights abuses has gained nationwide attention, and two NBA Hall of Famers joined Kanter Freedom in speaking out on China’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.”
In a December 2 Substack video, NBA all-time leading scorer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar applauded Kanter Freedom for criticizing the Chinese Communist Party’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.”
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.
The Daily Wire’s first original film, Shut In, has made its cinematic debut, being met with rave reviews. The Daily Wire is building an alternative to the leftist entertainment industry, one gripping movie at a time. Join us in this mission and stream Shut In today by becoming a Daily Wire <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">member</a>.

White House Chief Of Staff Ron Klain Speaks To Senate Democrats At Policy Lunch

Enes Kanter Freedom Nominated For Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel Peace Prize

NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom appears in an advertisement entitled “Free Speech Makes Free People” — which will run during the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Sponsored by the <a href="https://www.thefire.org/fire-lights-the-torch-with-olympics-ad-featuring-nba-star-enes-kanter-freedom/?utm_source=FIRE_Update&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=Update&amp;fb_subscribed=true">Foundation for Individual Rights in Education</a> (FIRE), the ad depicts Kanter Freedom wearing a shirt that says “Free Tibet, Free Taiwan, Free Hong Kong, Free Uyghurs” — an apparent slight against the Chinese government, which is hosting the Games.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Enes Kanter Freedom knows the cost of censorship" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ka44Rqm-J3g?start=59&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
“I remember the first time coming to America,” Kanter Freedom explains. “One of my teammates criticized the president and I said, ‘Dude, what are you doing? They might put you in jail.’ And he said, ‘This is America.’ And he explained to me what freedom of speech means. … Unfortunately if you use your free speech in Turkey, you’ll end up in jail.”
Kanter Freedom recounts that Turkish authorities revoked his passport and jailed his father when he started speaking against his home country’s government. The Boston Celtics player legally <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-enes-kanter-to-change-last-name-to-freedom">changed</a> his last name to “Freedom” in 2021 as he prepared to become an American citizen.
“People should feel very lucky and blessed to be in a country like America where there’s human rights,” he continues. “And obviously, America is having her own problems. But change can only happen in America with freedom of speech. And without freedom, we cannot do anything.”
“Freedom begins with the freedom to speak,” FIRE vice president of communications Nico Perrino said about the advertisement. “Authoritarians across the globe use censorship to stay in power and conceal their abuses. We need a culture supportive of free speech to stop them. That’s why Enes’ message that change can only happen with freedom of speech is so powerful.”
Kanter Freedom has repeatedly <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">called</a> upon Chinese authorities to ensure a free Tibet, an independent Taiwan, and a stop to the extermination of the Uyghur people. He also challenged President Joe Biden to “stop playing games with bullies” ahead of a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“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.”
Kanter Freedom also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-freedom-criticizes-former-nba-player-for-playing-in-chinese-basketball-association">blasted</a> former NBA player Jeremy Lin for participating in the Chinese Basketball Association. “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.” 
More recently, Eileen Gu — an American-born skier born and raised in San Francisco — chose to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-skier-competing-for-communist-china-refuses-to-answer-whether-she-gave-up-u-s-citizenship">compete</a> for her mother’s home country of China in the Winter Olympics. After she clinched the gold for the communist superpower, she defended her choice to compete against the United States.
“I’ve always been super outspoken about my gratitude to the U.S., especially the U.S. team,” Gu said when asked if she had to give up her American citizenship to compete for China. “I feel as though they’ve helped me out so much in my development, they continue to support me. And same with the Chinese team. They’ve always been super supportive and they’ve helped me so much. And so in that sense, I think that that speaks volumes to the ability of sport to bridge the gap and to be a force for unity.”

Washington Wizards v Boston Celtics

Enes Kanter Freedom Deals Blow To China, Wears ‘Free Uyghurs’ Shirt In Olympic Ad

Beijing Olympics

Communist China

Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom has used his platform and voice in order to speak out against human rights abuses across the world, particularly against crimes committed by Communist China. 
Kanter Freedom has been particularly outspoken on the treatment of the Uyghur Muslims, calling on Chinese President Xi Jinping to “stop the genocide” of the Uyghur people. And while the NBA has not attempted to stop Kanter Freedom from speaking out against China, they haven’t exactly hopped aboard his campaign. In fact, one NBA owner is on record saying that “nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs.” 
Chamath Palihapitiya — part-time owner of the Golden State Warriors — joined the “All-In Podcast” on Sunday, and his comments on the plight of the Uyghur people drew outrage on social media. 
“Every time I say that I care about the Uyghurs, I’m really just lying if I don’t really care. And so, I’d rather not lie to you and tell you the truth, it’s not a priority for me,” Palihapitiya said. 
Palihapitiya went on to say that he cares about climate change, the healthcare system in the United States, and about the incarceration rate of “black and brown men” in the U.S.  
Kanter Freedom responded to the comments on Twitter, saying that Palihapitiya is one who would “sell their soul for money &amp; business.”
&#8220;When [NBA] says we stand for justice, don’t forget there are those who sell their soul for money &amp; business like [Chamath Palihapitiya] the owner of [Warriors], who says &#8216;Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs,&#8217;” Kanter Freedom wrote.
“When genocides happen, it is people like this that let it happen. Shame!” he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
When <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NBA</a> says we stand for justice, don’t forget there are those who sell their soul for money &amp; business like <a href="https://twitter.com/chamath?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@chamath</a> the owner of <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@warriors</a>, who says “Nobody cares about what’s happening to the Uyghurs”
When genocides happen, it is people like this that let it happen
Shame! <a href="https://t.co/27j2GxGhCU">pic.twitter.com/27j2GxGhCU</a>
&mdash; Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) <a href="https://twitter.com/EnesFreedom/status/1483125462880694273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 17, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
On Monday, Palihapitiya posted a statement to social media saying his comments “lacked empathy.” 
“In re-listening to this week’s podcast, I recognize that I came across as lacking empathy,” Palihapitiya <a href="https://twitter.com/chamath/status/1483228175391866881?s=20">said</a>. “As a refugee, my family fled a country with its own set of human rights issues so this is something that is very much a part of my lived experience. To be clear, my belief is that human rights matter, whether in China, the United States, or elsewhere. Full stop.”
The Golden State Warriors organization distanced themselves from Palihapitiya on Monday, saying he was a “limited investor.”
“As a limited investor who has no day-to-day operating functions with the Warriors, Mr. Palihapitiya does not speak on behalf of our franchise, and his views certainly don’t reflect those of our organization,” Golden State <a href="https://twitter.com/WarriorsPR/status/1483179382134898690?s=20">said</a> in a statement. 
In October, 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 “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’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. 
Kanter Freedom officially became a U.S. citizen on November 29, 2021. 
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.

‘Shame!’: Enes Kanter Freedom Slams Billionaire NBA Owner Over Uyghur Comments

Uyghur

In the midst of the maelstrom revolving around pro athletes who have refused to get a COVID-19 vaccine, including the world’s number one ranked tennis player, Novak Djokovic, who was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/novak-djokovic-denied-entry-into-australia-visa-canceled">initially denied entry</a> into Australia because he was unvaccinated, Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom said Wednesday, “You know, people should obviously vaccine yes, you know, save lives … but people should have freedom to choose if they want to get a vaccine.”
Freedom was speaking on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-will-cain-podcast/id1561365870?i=1000546987997">The Will Cain Podcast</a> when he mentioned a teammate chiding him for not supporting personal freedom after Freedom urged people to get vaccinated, as <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2022/01/05/enes-kanter-freedom-people-should-have-freedom-to-choose-whether-to-get-covid-jab/">The Federalist</a> reports. He recalled, “He basically like called me out. He’s like ‘listen, you just changed your last name. That is what you said on that interview is everything you’re against, everything you stand for.’ And I stopped for a second, I think I was like ‘you know what, you’re right.’ You know, people should obviously vaccine yes, you know, save lives … but people should have freedom to choose if they want to get a vaccine.”
“Players will not do a [booster] mandate, I believe,” he continued. “Because players are going to stand up and say ‘this is against freedom.’ I know some of my really close friends around the league, there’s no way you can make them do anything like that because that’s their body, that’s their choice. … I know some of the players like the one that I talked to, there’s no way you can make him do anything and that’s his body and you have to respect that.”
Freedom said that after he criticized NBA star Lebron James for his stance on Communist China, “One of the teammates of LeBron [James] came up to me and said, ‘keep doing what you’re doing. What you’re doing is right. Don’t give up.’ I was very shocked.”
In November, Freedom <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/enes-kanter-rips-lebron-james-will-shut-up-and-dribble-when-big-boss-china-says-so/">ripped</a> James, accusing James of hypocrisy over his calls for social justice in the U.S. while defending China. He tweeted, “Money over Morals for the ‘King’ Crown. Sad &amp; disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice. 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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Prior to that, Freedom slammed Nike and James in a video, asserting, “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. 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.”

Menu