Enes Kanter Destroys Nike for Being Conveniently ‘Silent’ on the ‘Modern Day Slavery’ in China
While most NBA personnel refuses to risk damaging the league’s financially beneficial relationship with China by criticizing its dictatorship, Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter is uniquely fearless.
Last week, Kanter blasted Xi Jinping as a “brutal dictator,” this week the 29-year-old center ripped Nike as a hypocrite for being silent on issues in China.
“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…but when it comes to China, Nike remains silent,” Kanter said in a Twitter video Monday afternoon.
Dear @Nike
Stop the modern day SLAVERY, now!!!#HypocriteNike#EndUyghurForcedLabor pic.twitter.com/tvX2k3wE4X
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) October 25, 2021
“You are scared to speak up,” the NBA center criticized of Nike. “Who makes your shoes in China? Do you even know? There are so many forced labor factories in China. For instance, Uyghur forced labor. A modern-day slavery, and it’s happening right now in China.”
Nike remains one of the NBA’s biggest sponsors and both organizations feed off their partnerships with China. Many NBA players continue to profit off sneakers that are produced by Chinese companies which use slave labor.
“Every time you put those shoes on your feet or you put that t-shirt on your back, there are so many tears and so much oppression and so much blood behind it all,” Kanter added.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has supported the league’s relationship with China, despite deplorable human rights issues within the country. Silver has claimed the league’s relationship with the dictatorship can play a “productive role” in helping the United States and China understand each other.
The NBA typically demonstrates fear in criticizing China to avoid damaging their relationship. When Kanter spoke out last week, China responded by banning Celtics games from streaming in the country. Kanter is currently a back-of-the-rotation player in the NBA, it’s fair to wonder for how much longer.
