Enes Kanter Freedom to Boston

Tony C

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What the last few posts said, but would add to call him a fraud is really a stretch. Leaving aside this issue, the guy has put it all on the line -- ability to return home, loss of family, and threats to life -- by speaking truth to Erdogan. Agree or not with his Gulenist politics, he's definitely a guy who stands up for principle at a personal cost -- i.e, the opposite of a keyboard warrior tagging him as a "fraud."

edit to add a link: https://www.vox.com/world/2019/11/13/20941804/enes-kanter-nba-turkey-erdogan
 
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lexrageorge

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This thread is remarkable frankly. If Kanter wasn't on the Celtics y'all would be slamming him for his hypocrisy in associating with right wingers like John Bolton and support of the Gulen movement. Dude is a fraud who is right on one issue and is using this as a way to be a Fox darling after he retires (which will be soon because he's not worth an NBA spot).
So being against Erdogan makes someone a right-wing Bolton-wannabe?
 

Van Everyman

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Lebron responds, kind of:

LeBron James said Friday that he won’t “give my energy to” recent criticism from Celtics center Enes Kanter, who has used social media to take aim at James’ relationship with Nike and the company's alleged forced labor practices in China. James spoke after Friday night’s 130-108 loss to the Celtics that dropped the Lakers under .500 on the season.



“I think if you know me you know I don’t really give too many people my energy and he’s definitely not someone I will give my energy to,” he said. “Trying to use my name to create an opportunity for himself. Definitely won’t comment too much on that, if any. That will be where I lay that at.

“He’s always kind of had a word or two to say in my direction and as a man, if you got an issue with somebody, you really come up to him. He had his opportunity tonight. I seen him in the hallway, he walked right by me.”
 

Van Everyman

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Would add: I think all this “Enes should be a man and confront Lebron face to face about this” talk is dumb. Kanter isn’t trying to leverage this into some marketing deal for himself. He’s leveraging his position as a celebrity athlete to try to force action on an issue he believes in (and on which he is incontrovertibly correct).

I like Lebron but reporters should push him to actually respond to this with substance.
 

Marciano490

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Every time I want to like LeBron for his overall abilities and political activism on a lot of important issues he shits all over himself. You know who doesn’t get to choose what they do with their precious “energy”? Slave laborers and people in concentration camp. What a dumb, dumb statement. At least say you’re going to reflect or something.
 

kazuneko

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Would add: I think all this “Enes should be a man and confront Lebron face to face about this” talk is dumb. Kanter isn’t trying to leverage this into some marketing deal for himself. He’s leveraging his position as a celebrity athlete to try to force action on an issue he believes in (and on which he is incontrovertibly correct).

I like Lebron but reporters should push him to actually respond to this with substance.
The media take on this issue has been embarrassing, almost to the point where it felt like they were taking their directives from NBA brass. I love Doris Burke, which made it really tough to listen to her espouse the ridiculous notion that “if he has a problem he should say it to his face”. It was just baffling, as she is clearly too smart to not recognize that he is doing this through social media because he wants to generate attention through the media. It’s not like he’s pissed at LeBron for talking shit about him- he’s trying to jumpstart a larger conversation on this issue. And how the hell didn’t anyone follow up on LeBron’s BS response with the obvious next question: “putting aside Kanter and how he addressed this to you, how do you feel about the substance of his criticism. Do you have concerns about Nike’s labor practices in China?”.
 

benhogan

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Am I the only one that wants Enes back next season? He's not nearly as bad as the Kanter haters make him out to be.

Kanter is 100% correct on the issue here

Our 3rd string Center trolling Bron and image-shaming him is just an added bonus that I can get behind.

Does anyone have a clue how much Wyc or the NBA is losing here in revenue?
 

Van Everyman

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The media take on this issue has been embarrassing, almost to the point where it felt like they were taking their directives from NBA brass. I love Doris Burke, which made it really tough to listen to her espouse the ridiculous notion that “if he has a problem he should say it to his face”. It was just baffling, as she is clearly too smart to not recognize that he is doing this through social media because he wants to generate attention through the media. It’s not like he’s pissed at LeBron for talking shit about him- he’s trying to jumpstart a larger conversation on this issue. And how the hell didn’t anyone follow up on LeBron’s BS response with the obvious next question: “putting aside Kanter and how he addressed this to you, how do you feel about the substance of his criticism. Do you have concerns about Nike’s labor practices in China?”.
Agree – and I thought Doris (who I also really like) was way off last night. Everyone seems afraid to talk about the substance of this because, well, they don’t want to be canceled either. But I have a hard time believing it will just go away – or that Enes will let it go away.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Great post @kazuneko and I also think @Van Everyman is correct that Kanter doesn't seem likely to just shut up and dribble.

Frankly, I am done with Burke praise after last night. The way she and Breen (who is essentially an application rather than a person) brushed past the actual issue to express deep disappointment that Kanter didn't go to James directly smelled like they were reading LeBron's words almost verbatim.

I get that this is the job but the fact that they highlighted the perceived slight to James versus a human rights issue is extremely disappointing, especially since Burke, at least, should know better.
 

Jimbodandy

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Great post @kazuneko and I also think @Van Everyman is correct that Kanter doesn't seem likely to just shut up and dribble.

Frankly, I am done with Burke praise after last night. The way she and Breen (who is essentially an application rather than a person) brushed past the actual issue to express deep disappointment that Kanter didn't go to James directly smelled like they were reading LeBron's words almost verbatim.

I get that this is the job but the fact that they highlighted the perceived slight to James versus a human rights issue is extremely disappointing, especially since Burke, at least, should know better.
Access journalism at its finest.

Doris is great, but taking Kanter's side on this vs. Lebron would hurt her career. It's not just LBJ that would shun her. The other players see him as a god of industry and guys like EK as fungible chumps. The twitterverse laughs at guys like Perk for calling our NBA royalty.

Tl;dr; Doris knows where her bread is buttered.
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Access journalism at its finest.

Doris is great, but taking Kanter's side on this vs. Lebron would hurt her career. It's not just LBJ that would shun her. The other players see him as a god of industry and guys like EK as fungible chumps. The twitterverse laughs at guys like Perk for calling our NBA royalty.

Tl;dr; Doris knows where her bread is buttered.
Ultimately, you are correct.

I understand its her paycheck and she knows how to manage her career - better than me for certain. Its just disappointing.
 

Kliq

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I didn't see the game Friday night so I don't have anything to say about the broadcasters regarding LeBron/Kanter.

I think in general, Breen is an excellent broadcaster who comes across poorly because he is associated with Jackson and JVG, who are a truly wretched pairing.
 

benhogan

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Tennis champion Peng Shuai took to social media earlier this month to accuse a former top-ranking official in the Chinese Communist Party of sexually assaulting her. Within 30 minutes the post was scrubbed from the internet in China. She disappeared and no one has heard directly from her since.

For decades, Western athletes, celebrities and corporations have diligently kept silent in the face of Chinese human-rights violations. International hotel chains, airlines, apparel brands, sports leagues and Hollywood studios have steered away from “sensitive topics” such as Tibet’s independence, the Uyghur genocide, Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and Taiwan’s sovereignty.

The sports community must wake up—and speak up. We need to realize that the authoritarian Chinese government isn’t our friend. The Communist Party is a brutal dictatorship that has weaponized economic power to achieve ideological and political compliance.

Athletes can play a profound role in helping turn the tide toward a more safe and free world. History has shown what is possible. Bill Russell stood up against racial injustice. Muhammad Ali protested the Vietnam War. Arthur Ashe spoke out against apartheid in South Africa.

Western athletes can and should use our global platforms to lend a voice to those being silenced. #WhereIsPengShuai has been trending on Twitter. Let’s keep that up, and keep demanding answers until we know for sure she is safe.

We must also stop giving priority to money over morals. Claiming we are “misinformed” or “not really educated” should no longer be an excuse. Take initiative
. Reach out to activists and communities. Try to learn about the Chinese government’s abuses. We can all be better allies, and stand in solidarity.

And we must take a firm stance against the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. While the Women’s Tennis Association has voiced concern for Ms. Peng, the International Olympic Committee has shockingly echoed Chinese state media’s rhetoric about her case. This comes as no surprise, as the IOC has ignored Beijing’s abuses for years. As athletes concerned about human rights and justice, we must pressure the IOC to move the games. All the gold medals in the world aren’t worth selling your values and your principles to the Chinese Communist Party.

I have learned firsthand how precious freedom is. It must be defended at all costs. Together, we can help move the needle in the right direction.

Wake up and speak up. Change is coming, and no one can stop it. They can’t silence us all.


Mr. Kanter is a center for the Boston Celtics.
 

TripleOT

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I’m incredibly impressed with Kanter, who can create a WSJ piece and a LBJ troll (the painted sneakers) with aplomb.
 

Van Everyman

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With so many human rights violations, it’s hard to know where to start.

I’m sort of waiting for the dam to break on this Kanter/China story – the MSM has done its level best to try to paint Kanter as a distraction or having some personal agenda. But with him not taking his foot off the gas pedal, I don’t see how they can keep minimizing this forever.
 

Cellar-Door

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With so many human rights violations, it’s hard to know where to start.

I’m sort of waiting for the dam to break on this Kanter/China story – the MSM has done its level best to try to paint Kanter as a distraction or having some personal agenda. But with him not taking his foot off the gas pedal, I don’t see how they can keep minimizing this forever.
I would say this isn't really true. ESPN has, he was on CNN with Christine Amanpour, WSJ is running his piece, he was mentioned on MSNBC and the like... the mainstream media has very much treated it straight up (also the Fox News people have picked it up, but mostly to attack LeBron because that sells). It's really only the sports media, and particularly the outlets that directly need the NBA/LeBron for content that have brushed him aside.
 

Average Game James

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Does the NBA have the same rules around name/number changes and jerseys? Like, will we be able to buy a Freedom jersey this year?
 

DeJesus Built My Hotrod

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Does the NBA have the same rules around name/number changes and jerseys? Like, will we be able to buy a Freedom jersey this year?
No idea if you will be able to purchase official licensed gear but I believe teams let players change names displayed in-season regularly.

I wonder how both the league and Kanter in particular will feel about selling apparel off the back of this. I think a Freedom jersey would be sweet.
 
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BigMike

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I have never bought an NBA jersey, I will buy this when available
 

HomeRunBaker

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Would Freedom want you to buy it, though? They're made by Nike.
Why did EKF have no problem wearing Nike for all these years without a shoe deal? I’m not criticizing but I’d like for someone to ask for him to elaborate. I’d be curious to listen to what he had to say.
 

HomeRunBaker

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Tucker seemed disappointed that EKF didn’t throw his black teammates under the bus. He couldn’t wait to ask that question in anticipation of hitting a home run with it.