Outspoken human rights supporter and China slave labor critic Enes Kanter will legally alter his surname to “Freedom” after ending up being a U.S. citizen on Monday.
The report originates from the Athletic’s Shams Charania, who says that Kanter, who was born in Switzerland however raised in Turkey and has Turkish citizenship, will select “Flexibility” for his surname and make Kanter his middle name.
As Charania reports:
Kanter has been outspoken about social injustice and corrupt federal government routines throughout his NBA career, especially about the rule of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in his native Turkey. In 2017, Kanter had his Turkish passport canceled while taking a trip overseas and his daddy was quickly sent to prison by the Turkish federal government. Kanter just recently took objective at LeBron James’ relationship with Nike and the business’s alleged required labor practices in China.
Kanter hasn’t restricted his protests against communist China or Nike or LeBron to mere words, either. The 6 ’10 center has used a number of sets of shoes important of the James, the Chinese routine, and their servant labor practices.
XI JINPING and the Chinese Communist Celebration
Someone needs to teach you a lesson,
I will never ever excuse speaking the fact.
You can NOT buy me.You can NOT frighten me.You can NOT silence me.Bring it on!! #FreedomShoes#XinnieThePooh pic.twitter.com/JFGEgIaXlN
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) October 24, 2021
Information of the shoes used by Enes Kanter # 13 of the Boston Celtics with the wording “Free Tibet” throughout the first half versus the New york city Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20, 2021 in New York City City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
To those of you who care about human self-respect:
Please join me in spreading the word.
What is happening to the Uyghurs is among the WORST human rights abuses in the world today.We can NOT stay silent!#FreedomShoes#FreeUyghurs pic.twitter.com/8Bjr4FiWR9
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) October 22, 2021
The shoes of Enes Kanter # 13 of the Boston Celtics before the Celtics house opener against the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on October 22, 2021 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Considering that Kanter started his public protests versus Beijing, the Celtics have significantly cut his playing time, resulting in a kind of “shadow benching” to keep the star and his anti-communist shoes off the flooring.
LeBron James has actually refused to directly resolve Kanter’s criticisms of his relationship with Nike and China, rather opting to accuse the soon-to-be American person of trying to utilize his name to “produce a chance for himself.”
Despite their specified commitment to human rights and social justice, neither LeBron nor the NBA has actually supported Kanter’s demonstrations.