Enes Kanter has been very vocal this season as he looks to spread his political message, which mostly has to do with China and the treatment of its people by leader Xi Jinping. Kanter’s criticisms of China have expanded from Uyghur slave labor camps to the treatment of women to the alleged harvesting of organs. In the meantime, Kanter has even gone after athletes like LeBron James and Michael Jordan, who have numerous business dealings with China, through Nike.
Recently, Kanter was invited to China by none other than the country’s most well-known NBA superstar, Yao Ming. The former NBA star was very gracious with his offer, and this morning, Kanter issued a courteous response.
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“Hey @YaoMing I heard that you are inviting me to China this summer. Ok, I accept your invite,” Kanter wrote on Twitter. This caption was attached to a lengthy video in which Kanter said that he would come on one condition. Essentially, Kanter wants a full tour of China, and he wants to see the Uyghur forced labor camps, as well as the alleged torture of female captives.
Kanter believes the Chinese government will force him to only see the good parts of the country, but he wants full transparency. Of course, this demand probably won’t be taken seriously, so it’s unlikely that Kanter actually makes the trip.
Either way, the Turkish NBA star is sticking to his guns and his morals here, which is pretty admirable. It remains to be seen what Yao Ming will do with these demands, as Kanter awaits a response to his tweet.