Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA player, sparked controversy after LeBron James broke the NBA’s all-time points record by taking a shot at James on social media.
Moments after James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the all-time scorer, Kanter Freedom took to Twitter to express his thoughts on the matter.
In a tweet, he wrote: “38,388 Points. 0 Morals. 0 Values. 0 Principles. 0 Empathy. 1 Bow Down to #China. Congrats @KingJames.”
38,388 Points
0 Morals
0 Values
0 Principles
0 Empathy
1 Bow Down to #ChinaCongratulations to @KingJames
— Enes FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) February 8, 2023
Kanter Freedom, who changed his last name after becoming a U.S. citizen, has been outspoken about the NBA’s relationship with China in the past.
James was criticized for his comments on China, in which he said a former executive was “misinformed” about protests in the country.
In a December appearance on “The Ingraham Angle,” Kanter Freedom spoke about the NBA’s relationship with China.
He said, “When the Muslims are being literally slaughtered in concentration camps in China, you [Adam Silver] are silent, and not only are you silent, but you’re literally working with this genocidal regime. You’re literally working with the most brutal regime in the world hand-in-hand and trying to make money and business over there.”
Freedom added, “Please look me in the eye and say you don’t know nothing about the 3 million people in concentration camps in China [who] are getting tortured and raped every day. Shame on you.”
Despite Kanter Freedom’s criticism, James broke the all-time scoring record, finishing the game with 38 points in a 133-130 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
However, Kanter Freedom’s comments on James’ achievement have sparked a heated debate about the morality and values of athletes, particularly in relation to their interactions with governments and political regimes.