Many of the athletes who are praised by sports media for taking political stands are simply toeing the liberal line on social issues while risking nothing. Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter is not one of them.
On Wednesday, Kanter posted a video on Twitter calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a brutal dictator and calling on the Chinese government to free Tibet. “Tibet belongs to the Tibetan people, and I hope and believe that Tibet will achieve independence,” Kanter said. “Brutal dictator of China, Xi Jinping, I have a message for you and your henchman: I will say it again, again, and again, loud and clear. I hope you hear me.”
Dear Brutal Dictator XI JINPING and the Chinese Government
Tibet belongs to the Tibetan people!#FreeTibet pic.twitter.com/To4qWMXK56
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) October 20, 2021
And China certainly has. Chinese media quickly removed Celtics games from their platforms. Neither previous replays nor future games are available. Kanter went on to wear shoes designed by a Chinese dissident for his team’s game against the New York Knicks, though he did not end up playing in the game.
More than 150 Tibetan people have burned themselves alive!! — hoping that such an act would raise more awareness about Tibet.
I stand with my Tibetan brothers and sisters, and I support their calls for Freedom.#FreeTibet #FreedomShoes pic.twitter.com/MKxfs1l7GA
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) October 20, 2021
This is not the first dictatorship Kanter bravely and rightly has spoken out against. A native of Turkey, Kanter has repeatedly criticized Turkish dictator Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whom Kanter has called the “Hitler of our century.” His family, who still live in Turkey, were forced to denounce him. Kanter couldn’t play an NBA game in Europe out of fear for his own safety, and the Turkish government has recently issued its 10th arrest warrant for him.
And Kanter’s activism has had consequences. In 2018, he detailed how Nike would not sign him to an endorsement deal because doing so would shut down Nike stores in Turkey. Kanter’s games are already censored in Turkey. The addition of China to his list of enemies all but guarantees that he will never see a major shoe deal.
Kanter is not LeBron James, the NBA star who condemns police officers for saving lives while he sacrifices nothing but any dignity he might have. He is not Colin Kaepernick, the mediocre former quarterback whose career ended when he refused a pay cut from the Denver Broncos only to be rewarded with a lucrative Nike deal. These athletes risk nothing, parroting corporate-approved advocacy about social justice. Kanter has sacrificed millions in endorsements, risked his career prospects, and even risked his life to speak out for human rights.
Sports media can only support Kanter so much, in part because his stands against Turkey and China don’t fuel partisan narratives and in part because many outlets (including ESPN) are in partnerships with the same Chinese platforms that are censoring his games. Kanter is the bold athlete they pretend Kaepernick and LeBron are, but he gets a fraction of the adoring praise they do.
