Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has one of the most powerful voices in the league. So when he finally commented on the ongoing rift between the NBA and China, it naturally drew plenty of reactions.
One of those who voiced their thoughts on the matter was Enes Kanter.
-Haven’t seen or talked to my family 5 years
-Jailed my dad
-My siblings can’t find jobs
-Revoked my passport
-International arrest warrant
-My family can’t leave the country
-Got Death Threats everyday
-Got attacked, harassed
-Tried to kidnap me in IndonesiaFREEDOM IS NOT FREE
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) October 15, 2019
The Turkish is no stranger to being embroiled in political turmoil. He is an outspoken critic of his home country’s authoritarian president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Kanter’s dissent, along with his public support of those who oppose the Turkish government, has caused the cancellation of his passport and continuing harassment targeted to him and his family.
While Kanter did not specifically call James out, it could be inferred that the tweet Kanter fired was a response to what James had said.
This has been quite a couple of weeks for the NBA, and the Lakers were two of the teams that experienced firsthand how difficult the situation has been. The other was the Brooklyn Nets, whom the Lakers had scheduled preseason games and events in China with.
While the Lakers and Nets made it home to the U.S. safely, it does not seem like the league will get out of this firestorm unscathed.
