Enes Kanter Freedom launched a stinging attack on LeBron James amid a wave of admiration after the Lakers star’s historic performance on Tuesday night.
The former NBA veteran took aim at James on social media after climbing to the top of the all-time NBA scorer list, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar with a 38-point performance.
‘38,388 points 0 morals 0 values 0 principles 0 empathy 1 bow to #China. Happy birthday to @KingJames,” Freedom tweeted Wednesday morning.
“People get angry when I tell the truth because I’m the only athlete who really tells the truth. I’m not interested in your endorsement deals or your dirty money. You CANNOT buy me #CCP!
“Don’t expect me to respect you or your game when your shoes are literally made by SLAVE KIDS.”
LA Lakers star LeBron James became the NBA’s all-time top scorer on Tuesday night
However, former NBA star Enes Kanter Freedom sent a strong message to James after the game
Kanter Freedom has long been critical of James, who has spoken out on a wide range of social issues.
James has been vocal about a plethora of perceived injustices and has avoided ever blaming China, though he has consistently criticized various events and leaders in the United States.
In 2019, James caused fury at home and in Hong Kong after he accused Houston Rockers general manager Daryl Morey of being “misinformed” after he sparked an international row between the league and China by saying tweeted his support for pro professionals. Democracy protesters in Hong Kong.
He shared a photo with the caption: “Fight for freedom. Stand with Hong Kong.’ China responded by taking NBA games off the air before showing them again a few months later.
At the time, James Morey’s remarks weren’t well received, leading to China Central Television (CCTV) suspending NBA broadcasts for over 28 months – barring a brief broadcast of the 2020 NBA Finals – citing the dangers of the free speech.
“Yes, we have freedom of speech,” James said. “But sometimes there are implications of the negative that can happen when you don’t think about others when you only think about yourself.
“I don’t want to get into a verbal or propositional feud with Daryl Morey, but I believe he was unaware of the situation at hand and he spoke up.
“So many people could have been hurt, not just financially, but physically, emotionally and spiritually,” the Lakers star continued. “So be careful what we tweet and what we say and what we do. Although, yes we do have freedom of speech, there can be a lot of negatives that come with it.
Kanter has been as outspoken as James during and after his NBA career ended
James later clarified on Twitter: “Let me clear up the confusion. I don’t think the consequences and implications of the tweet have been considered. I’m not discussing the substance. Others can talk about that.”
James may have made another misstep when he added: “My team and this league have just had a difficult week.”
Last year, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admitted Morey’s comment cost the league “hundreds of millions” of dollars. The NBA lost about $400 million in the Chinese business, according to Silver, and faced criticism in the US.
James now sits alone at the top of the NBA scorer list, adding another point to his growing legend
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom’s shoes before an NBA game in October 2021
LeBron James’ latest comment on current affairs
Kanter Freedom has offered to tour China’s “slave labor camps” throughout 2021 with James, Michael Jordan and Nike co-founder Phil Knight – who was in attendance at the Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
“To the owner of @Nike, Phil Knight,” Kanter Freedom tweeted this October. “How about I book plane tickets for us and we fly to China together? We can try to visit these SLAVE labor camps and you can see it with your own eyes.’
Using her Twitter handles, Kanter Freedom added that James and Jordan — two of Nike’s most prominent spokespeople — “are also welcome.” Kanter ended the post with the hashtag: #EndUyghurForcedLabor.
Most recently, Kanter Freedom has garnered support from House Republicans, who have urged President Joe Biden to consider sanctions against Turkish officials and entities behind a $500,000 bounty for information leading to the former NBA star’s capture.
Kanter Freedom, who changed his last name to celebrate gaining US citizenship in 2021, is on the Turkish government’s most wanted list for 2023 after years of speaking out against President Recep Erdogan’s regime and its human rights abuses .
Meanwhile, James has only spoken out in basketball circles for the past few months.
Though he said in December he wanted to “hold the media accountable” after a 1967 photo surfaced of Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones as a 14-year-old observing a civil rights clash at his Little Rock High School in 1957.
Kanter Freedom tweeted back in 2021 that they would tour China’s “slave labor camps” with James, Michael Jordan and Nike co-founder Phil Knight
Morey’s first tweet included an image with the caption: “Fight For Freedom, stand With Hong Kong”