{"id":1070086,"date":"2021-11-30T19:44:49","date_gmt":"2021-12-01T00:44:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1070086"},"modified":"2021-11-30T19:44:59","modified_gmt":"2021-12-01T00:44:59","slug":"enes-kanter-freedom-willing-to-have-very-uncomfortable-conversation-with-lebron-james-on-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/enes-kanter-freedom-willing-to-have-very-uncomfortable-conversation-with-lebron-james-on-china\/","title":{"rendered":"Enes Kanter Freedom Willing To Have \u2018Very Uncomfortable Conversation\u2019 With LeBron James On China"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">28<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fenes-kanter-freedom-willing-to-have-very-uncomfortable-conversation-with-lebron-james-on-china%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1070086&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Enes Kanter Freedom may just be the bravest man in sports. Going after the face of the NBA \u2014 LeBron James \u2014 for his unwillingness to speak out against human rights abuses in China brings with it scrutiny that most athletes would shy away from.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Freedom \u2014 Kanter legally changed his name on Monday after becoming a U.S. citizen \u2014 has not been shy in criticizing China for its record on human rights abuses, but going after Nike and James is different considering the league in which Freedom plays.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Both James and Nike hold massive influence within the NBA. In 2015, Nike and the NBA agreed to an 8-year apparel deal beginning with the 2017-2018 NBA season worth a reported $1 billion, and James is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the league.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Kanter has criticized James and others in past weeks for staying silent on China while they \u201cpretend they care about social justice.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Freedom spoke after the Boston Celtics practice and said that he was willing to sit down and speak with James in an \u201cuncomfortable conversation.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSure, I\u2019d love to sit down and talk to him,\u201d Freedom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/32755256\/celtics-enes-kanter-freedom-says-welcome-sit-lebron-james-human-rights-abuses-china-here-educate-him\">said<\/a> according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to be a very uncomfortable conversation for him. I don\u2019t know if he\u2019s gonna want that. I\u2019ll make that really comfortable for him.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t know if he\u2019s educated enough, but I\u2019m here to educate him and I\u2019m here to help him, because it\u2019s not about money. It\u2019s about morals, principles and values. It\u2019s about what you stand for. There are way bigger things than money. If LeBron stopped making money now, his grandkids and grandkids and grandkids can have the best life ever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In recent years, there has been an increase in athletes speaking out on issues outside of the playing field, an approach that Freedom seems to support.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI feel like it\u2019s definitely time for athletes to stand up for the things they believe in \u2026 not just in America \u2026 but all over the world,\u201d Kanter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/32755256\/celtics-enes-kanter-freedom-says-welcome-sit-lebron-james-human-rights-abuses-china-here-educate-him\">said<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In an October video posted to social media, Freedom first went after Nike and founder Phil Knight for their unwillingness to speak out on atrocities committed by the Chinese government.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYour company says that you\u2019re making a positive impact in our communities,\u201d Kanter <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/enes-kanter-goes-after-nike-invites-lebron-james-and-michael-jordan-to-visit-slave-labor-camps\">said<\/a>. \u201cAnd that is true. Yes, you are. Here, in the United States, Nike stands with Black Lives Matter. Nike stands with Stop Asian Hate. Nike stands with the Latino community. And Nike stands with the LGBTQ community \u2026 But when it comes to China, Nike remains silent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou do not address [police brutality] in China, you do not speak about discrimination against the LGBTQ community, you do not say a word about the oppression of minorities in China. You are scared to speak up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Kanter went on to claim that Nike\u2019s products are produced by forced labor, specifically Uyghur forced labor.<\/p>\n<p>Later in the video, Kanter first mentioned James and NBA legend Michael Jordan, offering to buy them plane tickets to China so that they could \u201cvisit these slave labor camps and you can see with your own eyes.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, Freedom once again went after Jordan, saying that the six-time NBA champion and owner of the Charlotte Hornets is \u201cscared to speak up.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe thing is, whenever I talk about LeBron, whenever I talk about Michael Jordan, the Black athletes in the league are the ones reaching out to me and saying, \u2018Listen, talk about this person,\u2019\u201d Freedom <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/nba\/story\/_\/id\/32755256\/celtics-enes-kanter-freedom-says-welcome-sit-lebron-james-human-rights-abuses-china-here-educate-him\">said<\/a> according to ESPN. \u201cNot many people know this, but they are the ones giving me talking points. When Black Lives Matter protests happened, I was the third one in the whole league that went out there and protested. I was actually wearing my jersey. I wanted them to know that I am with them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut when these issues are happening, some of the other players out there in the league are scared to say anything against LeBron or Jordan \u2026 but they are reaching out to me and giving me talking points and say, \u2018Listen, you talk about LeBron. It\u2019s amazing \u2014 but he\u2019s at least standing up for things in America. Why don\u2019t you say anything about Michael Jordan? The only thing he is doing is just giving money, but he is remaining silent. He\u2019s scared to speak up.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday, James was placed in the NBA\u2019s health and safety protocols and ruled out for the Lakers\u2019 Tuesday night game against the Sacramento Kings.<\/p>\n<p>Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to&nbsp;sports@dailywire.com.<\/p>\n<p>The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/subscribe\">member<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Enes Kanter Freedom may just be the bravest man in sports. Going after the face of the NBA \u2014 LeBron James \u2014 for his unwillingness to speak out against human rights abuses in China brings with it scrutiny that most athletes would shy away from.\u00a0Freedom \u2014 Kanter legally changed his name on Monday after becoming a U.S. citizen \u2014 has not been shy in criticizing China for its record on human rights abuses, but going after Nike and James is different considering the league in which Freedom plays.\u00a0Both James and Nike hold massive influence within the NBA. In 2015, Nike and the NBA agreed to an 8-year apparel deal beginning with the 2017-2018 NBA season worth a reported $1 billion, and James is widely considered to be one of the greatest players in the history of the league.\u00a0Kanter has criticized James and others in past weeks for staying silent on China while they \u201cpretend they care about social justice.\u201d\u00a0On Tuesday, Freedom spoke after the Boston Celtics practice and said that he was willing to sit down and speak with James in an \u201cuncomfortable conversation.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0\u201cSure, I\u2019d love to sit down and talk to him,\u201d Freedom said according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN. \u201cI\u2019m sure it\u2019s going to be a very uncomfortable conversation for him. I don\u2019t know if he\u2019s gonna want that. I\u2019ll make that really comfortable for him.\u201d\u201cI don\u2019t know if he\u2019s educated enough, but I\u2019m here to educate him and I\u2019m here to help him, because it\u2019s not about money. It\u2019s about morals, principles and values. It\u2019s about what you stand for. There are way bigger things than money. If LeBron stopped making money now, his grandkids and grandkids and grandkids can have the best life ever.\u201dIn recent years, there has been an increase in athletes speaking out on issues outside of the playing field, an approach that Freedom seems to support.\u00a0\u201cI feel like it\u2019s definitely time for athletes to stand up for the things they believe in \u2026 not just in America \u2026 but all over the world,\u201d Kanter said.\u00a0In an October video posted to social media, Freedom first went after Nike and founder Phil Knight for their unwillingness to speak out on atrocities committed by the Chinese government.\u00a0\u201cYour company says that you\u2019re making a positive impact in our communities,\u201d Kanter said. \u201cAnd that is true. Yes, you are. Here, in the United States, Nike stands with Black Lives Matter. Nike stands with Stop Asian Hate. Nike stands with the Latino community. And Nike stands with the LGBTQ community \u2026 But when it comes to China, Nike remains silent.\u201d\u201cYou do not address [police brutality] in China, you do not speak about discrimination against the LGBTQ community, you do not say a word about the oppression of minorities in China. You are scared to speak up.\u201dKanter went on to claim that Nike\u2019s products are produced by forced labor, specifically Uyghur forced labor.Later in the video, Kanter first mentioned James and NBA legend Michael Jordan, offering to buy them plane tickets to China so that they could \u201cvisit these slave labor camps and you can see with your own eyes.\u201d\u00a0On Tuesday, Freedom once again went after Jordan, saying that the six-time NBA champion and owner of the Charlotte Hornets is \u201cscared to speak up.\u201d\u00a0\u201cThe thing is, whenever I talk about LeBron, whenever I talk about Michael Jordan, the Black athletes in the league are the ones reaching out to me and saying, \u2018Listen, talk about this person,\u2019\u201d Freedom said according to ESPN. \u201cNot many people know this, but they are the ones giving me talking points. When Black Lives Matter protests happened, I was the third one in the whole league that went out there and protested. I was actually wearing my jersey. I wanted them to know that I am with them.\u201d\u201cBut when these issues are happening, some of the other players out there in the league are scared to say anything against LeBron or Jordan \u2026 but they are reaching out to me and giving me talking points and say, \u2018Listen, you talk about LeBron. It\u2019s amazing \u2014 but he\u2019s at least standing up for things in America. Why don\u2019t you say anything about Michael Jordan? The only thing he is doing is just giving money, but he is remaining silent. He\u2019s scared to speak up.\u2019\u201dOn Tuesday, James was placed in the NBA\u2019s health and safety protocols and ruled out for the Lakers\u2019 Tuesday night game against the Sacramento Kings.Joe Morgan is the Sports Reporter for The Daily Wire. Most recently, Morgan covered the Clippers, Lakers, and the NBA for Sporting News. Send your sports questions to\u00a0sports@dailywire.com.The Daily Wire is one of America\u2019s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a\u00a0member.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":2315279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1070086","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1070086","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1070086"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1070086\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2315279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1070086"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1070086"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1070086"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}