NBA’s Enes Kanter Continues His Crusade Against the ‘Cultish’ Chinese Communist Party: ‘Hong Kong will be FREE!’

Boston Celtics backup center Enes Kanter continues to ignore NBA boundaries by speaking out against China and their reprehensible human rights violations.

Last month, Kanter declared support for “free Tibet” and bashed Chinese president Xi Jinping as a “brutal dictator.” One week later, Kanter ranted against one of the NBA’s biggest sponsors in Nike, for profiting off Chinese slave labor.

The 29-year-old center also called for a boycott of next February’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. And Tuesday morning, Kanter continued his crusade against the “cultish Chinese communist party,” by blasting their treatment of Hong Kong.

“We must hold the Chinese government accountable,” Kanter says in the video. “To everyone watching, I hope you will join me. We must do everything we can to free Hong Kong. We must support Hongkongers and their struggle for freedom.”

Kanter might be the last person on Boston’s bench, having only logged just 10 total minutes this season, but the backup center is proving himself to be one of the bravest athletes in the NBA, as he remains outspoken on controversial geopolitical issues where others are silent.

The NBA generally hesitates to speak on China’s human rights violations, fearing it will damage their financially beneficial relationship. In 2019, then-Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tweeted “stand with Hong Kong,” causing a firestorm within the league.

China responded by boycotting the NBA and banning the league’s games from airing in the country. Morey later issued a statement, writing that the opinion to support Hong Kong was only his and he since had the opportunity to “head and consider other perspectives.”

China eventually began showing NBA games again, but still bans Philadelphia 76ers broadcasts, where Morey now serves as team president. Boston Celtics games are also currently banned in China because of Kanter’s continued statements.