Enes Kanter Freedom has been on the NBA’s blacklist for criticizing the league’s shady and inappropriate relationship with China. He has been critical of the CCP’s inhumane treatment of the Uyghurs and has been banished from the league as a result.
In November of 2021, he criticized Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai for saying that all Chinese citizens “stand united when it comes to the territorial integrity of China and the country’s sovereignty over her homeland.” This implies that everyone in China is fine with the CCP’s dictatorial practices (such as shutting down the Hong Kong protestors or their Uyghur genocide), which is a lie.
Freedom posted on Twitter criticism of this statement and criticized Tsai’s cowardice.
It is the owner @brooklynNets@joetsai1999 is a coward & puppet of the Chinese gov’t.
Being anti-CCP does NOT mean being anti-Asian
You can do it! #StopAsianHate & to stand up against the CCP
These are UNIVERSAL values that aren’t “western” but are human rights!
Spineless Joe Tsai
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) November 24, 2021
This is just one example of how Freedom has unashamedly exposed the NBA’s hypocrisy of partnering with a country that commits many of the social injustices the league claims to fight against in the United States.
Freedom has been traded twice by Boston Celtics to be dealt by the Houston Rockets. Some claim Freedom was not playing at a high level of play, with 12 minutes per games, but the fact that he had been critical of China in recent months and combined it with the films is very suggestive. Freedom spoke out about this issue in March.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize why I got little playing time and was released,” he said. “But it does take people with a conscience to speak out and say it’s not right.”
To make things worse, Freedom said he did not receive a single offer to play during the NBA’s free agency period.
“Free agency is open for one month. I normally should have had offers. I received no offers in the summer. It is because I have spoken out about the recent events in China. China is an important market for the NBA. They will let you talk about whatever topic you like until it is financially detrimental to them. If you don’t stop doing this, they will seize your assets. It is very sad and unacceptable,” Freedom said.
The 30-year-old has been a valuable piece of many recent playoff teams, so it’s not as though his production makes him unworthy of an NBA roster spot. I hope at least one team can come to terms with this guy, who is doing nothing right in the eyes of the league and get a second chance.
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