Enes Kanter Freedom is an NBA player who famously changed his name from Enes Kanter in 2021 when he was sworn in as a United States citizen, saying it symbolized the fight for freedom in his home country. Now, he is speaking out against the NBA, boldly calling them out for their partnership with the Chinese Communist Party despite the human rights abuses being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims and other minority groups by the Chinese government.

Having been raised in Turkey, Enes Freedom came to the United States as a teenager. Speaking about the difference between the freedoms in each country, he said, “Here [in the U.S.], there is freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of the press. I didn’t have any of those with Turkey.”

Freedom has been vocal about his opposition to China’s actions before, causing him to be mostly shunned by teams in the league, which maintains a major partnership with China. This is in part what has caused him to struggle to be taken on as a player for the 2022-23 season.

The NBA makes about $5 billion a year from China. Team owners and players are also heavily invested in China, with NBA players signing major endorsement deals with Chinese apparel companies and league owners having over $10 billion invested.

In a recent appearance on Fox News, Freedom slammed the league and commissioner Adam Silver for their close relationship with the CCP without regard for the human rights abuses they carry out.

“The NBA [is the] ‘No Boundaries Association,'” said Freedom. “The NBA gives free propaganda to a genocidal regime.

He then gave his reaction to a recent video from the Washington Wizards that show Chinese Ambassador Qin Gang shooting free throws on the court either before or after the game.

“I have been playing 11 years in the NBA and over 800 games,” he said. “I have never, ever in my whole career [seen] any ambassador of any government that takes the court before the game and takes free shots.”

“I remember when my manager sent me that video,” continued Freedom. “I thought it was a joke, but I just – when I saw that tweet from the Chinese ambassador – I was like, ‘This is just disgusting.'”

Freedom then turned his attention to the NBA Commissioner, criticizing him for his partnership with the CCP and supporting its “genocidal regime” and comparing China’s treatment of the Uyghur Muslims to that of the Jews during the Holocaust.

“When the Muslims are being literally slaughtered in concentration camps in China, you [Adam Silver] are silent, and not only are you silent, but you’re literally working with this genocidal regime. You’re literally working with the most brutal regime in the world hand-in-hand and trying to make money and business over there,” he said.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver

“Please look me in the eye and say you don’t know nothing about the 3 million people in concentration camps in China [who]are getting tortured and raped every day. Shame on you.”

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