Enes Kanter is one of the more outspoken players in the NBA when it comes to political matters. He is currently facing repercussions in his native Turkey for the things he has said about Erdogan, and in America, he has been very vocal about other topics, including the COVID-19 vaccine. Just last week, Kanter ripped on other NBA stars who have been avoiding the vaccine, as he feels like they are completely missing the larger picture.
More recently, stars like LeBron James have admitted to taking the vaccine, all while stating that they aren’t going to encourage anyone to get it as health is a private matter.
Steph Chambers/Getty Images
Kanter is not a big fan of this approach, and he is letting people know. According to TMZ, Kanter recently went off on LeBron saying that the star should be using his platform to educate people. LeBron has a massive voice, and Kanter thinks he should use it, especially since LeBron typically doesn’t shy away from politics.
“LeBron James, he’s one of the faces of the league and he should be the first one to go out there and say, ‘Listen, everyone. I got the vaccine, and I’m encouraging everyone, my community, everyone, basketball fans, non-basketball fans and sports fans are just going out there and get this vaccine, so we can save other lives,'” Kanter said. “When I heard that, I just couldn’t believe it. But, I hope he can educate himself about this vaccination and inspire and encourage other people around him.”
With the NBA starting in just a few weeks, 95 percent of the league is vaccinated, and more players are starting to get the vaccine as they are quickly realizing that their availability could be put in jeopardy. Regardless, most people have made up their minds, and no amount of convincing is actually going to work barring some sort of life-altering event.
[Via]