According to a report by ASNE via the Wichita Eagle, ‘freedom’ said he would welcome sitting out
The Boston Celtics announced on Tuesday that they were benching Enes Kanter after five games and two losses. If it comes down to playing in an NBA game or not playing at all this season, how will the big man feel about staying off the court?
The “enes kanter freedom jersey” is a new shirt that has been released by the Celtics. The shirt features a cartoon of Enes Kanter wearing an American flag and holding up his middle finger.
3:41 p.m. Eastern
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ESPN’s Tim Bontemps
BOSTON (CBS) — Enes Kanter Freedom of the Boston Celtics stated he would welcome the chance to talk with LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, whom he has accused of hypocrisy, along with Nike, for failing to speak out against human rights problems in China, and “teach” him on the matter.
After the Celtics’ practice on Tuesday, Freedom said, “Sure, I’d love to sit down and chat to him.” “I’m sure it’ll be a difficult talk for him to have. I’m not sure whether he’ll want it. I’ll make it as easy as possible for him.
“I’m not sure whether he’s well-educated, but I’m here to teach him and assist him since it’s not about the money.” It’s all about morality, values, and ideals. It’s all about what you believe in. There are many more important things in life than money. LeBron’s grandchildren, grandkids, and grandkids could have the finest life ever if he stopped generating money today.
“I think it is past time for athletes to speak out for what they believe in, not just in America, but across the globe,” she says.
Freedom, who became a citizen of the United States on Monday and changed his last name from Kanter to Freedom to commemorate the occasion, has repeatedly criticized both James and Nike for failing to call out human rights abuses against the Uyghur population in China’s Xinjiang province, according to him. He donned a shirt that stated “Freedom for Uyghur” during his press conference on Tuesday.
James was questioned about Freedom’s statements about him after the Celtics upset the Lakers at TD Garden earlier this month. “I’m not going to devote my energy to Freedom,” James stated, adding that Freedom had a chance to meet him after the game but instead went right by him in the corridor.
When questioned about the encounter on Tuesday, Freedom, whose Celtics take on the Lakers in Los Angeles on Dec. 7, gave his version of the tale.
“I was really on the court, and as I exited, he was right behind me… Then I came to a halt to snap a photo with a child, and it was him who went straight by me “”Freedom,” she said.
“They stand for Black Lives Matter in America — wonderful,” Freedom said on Tuesday, reiterating his belief that Nike is “the worst hypocritical brand out there.” They are the Latino community’s voice. There is no animosity against Asians. They are supportive of the LGBTQ community. However, when it comes to other nations, such as China, they keep mute. They are obviously utilizing these superstars as the face of the company, such as Cristiano Ronaldo in soccer, LeBron James in basketball, and other sports. But they’re turning into puppets.
“I believe we should be cautious about what we wear because there is so much blood, sweat, and tyranny on those garments every time you put them on your feet or back.”
Freedom also reiterated his criticism of Michael Jordan for keeping quiet on these topics, claiming that other players have urged him to do so as well.
“The problem is, anytime I speak about LeBron or Michael Jordan, it’s the Black players in the league that come out to me and say, ‘Listen, talk about this guy,’” Freedom said. “Not many people are aware of this, but it is they who provide me with talking points. When the Black Lives Matter demonstrations took place, I was the third person in the league to go out and protest. I was, in fact, dressed in my jersey. I wanted them to know I was there for them.
“However, when these situations arise, some of the other players in the league are afraid to speak out against LeBron or Jordan… but they come out to me and give me talking points, saying, ‘Listen, you talk about LeBron.’ It’s incredible — but at the very least, he’s standing up for what’s right in America. Why aren’t you mentioning Michael Jordan? He’s simply doing one thing: providing money, but he’s not saying anything. He’s afraid to say anything.’”
Freedom has been wearing shoes this season that reflect persons and places he has spoken out against, such as Chinese Communist Party general secretary Xi Jinping, Nike, and James. He’s also used his shoes to advocate causes like Tibet’s and Taiwan’s independence.
He said that the shoe ad was his invention, and that it sprang from his youth in Turkey. When he watched NBA games on TV, the first thing he noticed was which shoes the stars were wearing, and he realized that this would be a good opportunity to promote awareness and reach out to young people at home.
“It’s critical to… inspire the next generation,” Freedom stated. “And I believe that was the right approach. And I checked the rulebooks, and there was nothing that said that wasn’t allowed.”
To that end, Freedom claimed he spoke with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver about his sneakers and informed him he would follow any league restrictions.
“‘Let me know if there are any regulations I’m breaking or breaching,’ I said. ‘I’ll be the first to follow,’ says the narrator.” “Freedom,” she said. “‘No, you’re not breaking any regulations,’ he responded. ‘Adam, you guys are the ones who are telling us and pushing players to stand up for what’s right, not just in America, but throughout the globe,’ I said. So you’re the ones that urged me to speak up against all the human rights atrocities going on throughout the globe, right?’ ‘Listen, you have complete freedom to say anything you want,’ he said. ‘I appreciate it,’ I said.”
For the first time in many weeks, Freedom spoke to the media. He sat third in Boston’s center rotation behind Robert Williams and Al Horford through the first 13 games of the season, averaging fewer than 10 minutes in two short stints. On Nov. 14, he shared a flip book on Instagram with the statement, “Keep restricting me on the court, and I’ll expose you off the court.” He joined the game in the second half the following day when Williams left with knee pain, and he’s played in every game since, albeit just one of them, last week against Houston, had all three of them healthy.
Freedom claimed he met with Celtics coach Ime Udoka about his playing time after his social media post, and Udoka told him it had nothing to do with his political convictions.
On Tuesday, Freedom discussed his appearance on Tucker Carlson’s program on Monday night, during which he claimed that Americans “should keep their mouths shut and stop criticizing the greatest country in the world, and they should concentrate on, you know, their liberties, human rights, and democracy.”
When challenged about the statements on Tuesday, Freedom said that he is apolitical and just cares about human rights.
“The border between human rights and politics is narrow but vast,” he remarked. “I’m trying to assist people, which is why I’m so active with politicians, senators or congressmen, folks in the State Department, White House, or anything.” We’re trying to write legislation, and we’re trying to figure out how to aid those individuals — not only in Turkey, but all across the globe — by imposing penalties on nations that violate human rights, boycotting the Olympics, and freeing other political prisoners.
“Obviously, we have issues here, but people should consider themselves fortunate to be in this circumstance.”
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The “enes kanter shoes” is a recent announcement by Enes Kanter, the center of the Boston Celtics. In an interview, he said that he would welcome a sit and that he was not happy with his current situation.
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