“I will bring toughness, post moves, rebounding, everything. I will try to do everything to make it to the playoffs,” a young Enes Kanter Freedom stated after being the third overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.
A walking example of a scrappy big man player, Freedom’s efforts go far beyond the basketball court. Freedom’s one of the most outspoken basketball players and athletes in the professional level when it comes to activism, religious freedom and standing up for the oppressed. Lately, he’s been one of the few professional athletes willing to criticize China for its treatment of religious minorities.
In November 2021, Freedom became a citizen of the United States and legally changed his name to “Enes Kanter Freedom.” In an interview with CNN, Freedom referred to his new name as a reflection of his life-long fight for freedom. Freedom stated that “freedom is the greatest thing a human being can have. That’s why I wanted to make that word a part of me and carry it wherever I go.” Now in his 11th season in the NBA, the Celtics center continues to play hard on the court and to fight for the oppressed off the court.
“Here [in the US] there is freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of expression, freedom of the press,” Freedom told CNN. “I didn’t have any of those with Turkey.”
Born in Zurich, Switzerland to Turkish parents, Freedom is a practicing Muslim, who was raised in the Gulenist movement led by exiled Turkish leader Fethullah Gulen. Freedom attended Hizmet schools in Turkey, which are run by the Gulen movement. And Fethullah Gulen, who lives on a private compound in Pennsylvania, has been a personal friend and mentor to Freedom. “Gulen is promoting an Islam that highlights justice, respect and love for those who aren’t like us,” Freedom said during an interview with a TV station in Tennessee. Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdogan sees Gulen as a political rival and has sought to paint Gulenist Turks such as Freedom as revolutionaries and would-be terrorists who are trying to run a shadow government and overthrow Erdogan’s regime. That context makes Freedom, one of the most famous Turkish celebrities, an enemy of the Turkish state.
After his family moved back to Turkey, he started his professional basketball career at age 16 as a swinger for Fenerbahçe’s youth and senior teams. During his time with the club, Freedom made four appearances in the EuroLeague and five in the Turkish Super League before leaving for the United States. Freedom’s professional experience and contract with Nike hindered him from playing in high school and college levels in the United States. Upon his arrival, Kanter attended Findley Prep in Henderson, Nev., and then Mountain State Academy in Beckley, West Virginia, unable to play for both schools. His lone high school season came when Stoneridge Preparatory School in Simi Valley, Calif., gave him a spot on their roster.
Freedom verbally committed to play for the University of Washington Huskies in November of 2009. However, in 2010, he signed his national letter of intent to play for the University of Kentucky Wildcats after re-opening his recruitment. Once again, his professional experience worked against him. According to ESPN, The NCAA ruled Freedom permanently ineligible for exceeding the illegibility limit by $33,000 while playing for Fenerbahçe. As result, Freedom was unable to step on the hardwood as a member of the Wildcats but he decided to remain in Lexington while preparing for the NBA draft under coach John Calipari’s mentorship. Freedom was selected by the Utah Jazz as the third overall pick in his draft class.
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