Enes Kanter is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA.
Since coming into the league in 2011, Kanter has struggled to find his place on the court, and in recent years, has become much more vocal off of it.
Over the course of the last month, Kanter has taken aim at LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai for their alleged support for China’s CCP and the human rights violations they commit, as well as their connection with Nike, who Kanter alleges utilizes forced labor, and has attacked a myriad of targets via social media, and custom on-court sneakers.
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Most recently, Kanter became a U.S. citizen and legally changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom. To celebrate the occasion, the Boston Celtics third-string center appeared on Tucker Carlson Tonight, to speak with the equally-polarizing Fox News host about his newfound citizenship and his recent tirades against basketball’s biggest names.
However, it was Freedom’s address to unhappy Americans that raised the most eyebrows.
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As he and Carlson discussed those who are critical of the United States, Freedom relayed a pointed message.
“I feel like they should just, please, they should keep their mouth shut,” he said. “Stop criticizing the greatest nation in the world and they should focus on, you know, their freedoms and their human rights and their democracy.”
While Freedom is certainly free to express his views, it will be interesting to see how his teammates and the rest of the NBA reacts to these comments. They sound a lot like Laura Ingraham’s “shut up and dribble” comments, but where Ingraham was aimed directly at LeBron, Freedom is aiming at an entire nation full of disgruntled citizens.
What do you think of Freedom’s appearance on Tucker Carlson Tonight? Let us know down in the comments.