Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter Freedom has vowed to make the most of his platform as an NBA player to protest on multiple social issues. Unsurprisingly, that hasn't always been welcomed around the league.
Freedom - who recently became an American citizen and legally changed his name - has taken multiple shots at prominent figures in the league, mainly LeBron James, for their ties to Nike and other companies accused of aiding child labor.
Nonetheless, the former Utah Jazz center recently said that he's actually willing to make amends and call a truce with The King, as long as he's also willing to be educated on that issue.
Enes Kanter Freedom Says He's Willing To Educate LeBron James On China's Situation
“Sure, I’d love to sit down and talk to him," Kanter told 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.”
Freedom Says NBA Players Are Scared To Call Out Michael Jordan And LeBron James
Kanter Freedom also said that multiple black NBA players have reached out to him urging him to call out these legends of the game. According to the Turkish big man, they're too scared to do it themselves:
"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, 'Listen, talk about this person,'" the big man said. "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.
"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," Freedom added. "But they are reaching out to me and giving me talking points and say, 'Listen, you talk about LeBron. It's amazing -- but he's at least standing up for things in America. Why don't you say anything about Michael Jordan? The only thing he is doing is just giving money, but he is remaining silent. He's scared to speak up.'"
At the end of the day, no one is untouchable, especially at this time. Everybody has their take on these issues and Freedom has every right to speak up for what he believes in and call out whoever he feels like it's not doing enough to help the cause.
