Unafraid with Enes Kanter Freedom

and one of those individuals is Ennis Cantor Freedom. I had the ability to meet him at Fox News Patriot Awards, where he received an award the Most Valuable Patriot Award for his human rights stances for standing up for freedom. He grew up in Turkey, came to the United States at just seventeen years old. But he has drawn the ire of the NBA, he's drawn the ire of companies like Nike because he actually has put his money where

his mouth is. He has stood up for freedom. He has spoken out against human rights abuses being taken place against the weaker population at the hands of the Chinese Communist Party, and that's not been well received by some of his colleagues. So what is it like to have truly grown up with authoritarianism, to truly have seen authoritarianism. He's seen retribution being taken against his family, against him

by the Turkish government, against Irwin for speaking out. He's faced personal and professional retribution in the n b A, he got kicked out for his stances. So we're going to talk to him to get true perspective, talk to him about what that is like and why freedom is so important and it's worth preserving, it's worth fighting for. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I

did with Ennis Cantor Freedom. Yeah, and as I got to beat you at the Fox News Patriot Awards, and it was so cool to see you get rewarded because you have been such a fearless advocate for freedom in so many ways. You faced personal repercussions for it, professional repercussions for What does that mean to you to receive the most Valuable Patriot Award? Yeah? The last five six months, I've definitely have been getting so many awards, but that

one was definitely the most special one. I think what made it so special was, you know, when I received awards, seeing all the crowds reaction, it was just so I don't know how to describe it with wards was so amazing, so unbelievable. So it's really touched my heart. You know, that crowd has got up and started champing freedom. And I had so many messages right after the event and saying we are your family, you are welcoming off Thanksgiving dinner. This is you know, we are our new we want

to host you now. So it was like unbelievable feeling. You know, I think more than the ward, that feeling was just the most special thing of the night. Well, I believe people just respect you so much because we always see these athletes in the NBA and the NFL who purport to believe in things right. They purport to believe in human rights and all these different things, but then in reality they want that money, right, They want

the income from Nike. They you know, they don't actually want to put the money where their their mouth is, but you do, and you have why do you think so many athletes are really actually afraid to stand up for the things they say they care about. You know, the last thing when I was started to, you know, talk about the problems we're happening in China, I wished out I wish out to everybody, not only my teammates. But you know, it was the perfect moment because it

was right before the Beijing Olympics. So I literally try to reach out to not just people in NBA or my teammates, but NFL, MLB, MLS. I even try to reach out to or some Olympians. They all told me the same thing. They said, Listen, I think what you're doing is so amazing, so inspirational. Keep doing what you're doing so brave, but we love you with supportable We just cannot do it out loud. I asked them why. They said, well, we have shoe deals, we have endorsement deals.

We want to get another contract. And I asked them one simple question. I was like, put yourself in their shoes. If your mother, if your daughter, if your sister, or whoever was getting torture and rate every day in concentration camps, which is still pick money over your morals, values and principles, and they usually turn around and leave. You know. I

talked to many of my teammates. Unfortunately, not one of them I wanted to stand with me, you know, but when it comes to every other issue in the world, that they are the first one or the first organization, the NBA. They just go out there and just say things about what's happening. I don't even remember, you know, my uh you know teammates were wearing the Ukrainian flag pins on their on their chest when right after the

you know, the war started in Ukraine. Um I was like, this is so hypocratical because if just God whole by think about if China, Taiwan. I promise you all the teal or all these companies, all these athletes, players or whoever would not say a word about it because they know the consequences that they will face. Quick commercial break more with edis cantor well and for people at home,

if you're you're unfamiliar. Um And has has done things like when he was in the NBA wearing shoes that said things like free Tibet and calling out Nike for using the weaker population. Who are you know there's a genocide against them in China using Nike of slave labor, which is what they've done. Uh you know, I mean there is a cost to that though you know you're no longer in the NBA. Uh, I mean what does that tell you? I mean, at the end of I'm

still closing a must have an NBA player does. That is one of the biggest reasons that I did not and asked my retirement because I'm not retired, you know, I'm just starting thirty. I can play another five six series in this league. So um, I mean that basketball was my passion. Basketball was my dream, especially to play in the NBA since I was a little kid, since the first day that I picked up the basketball. But

I mean, I was just seeing the hypocrisy. I was just seeing how people are using this, this the social justice warrior title to make a name for themselves, you know, because I remember two years ago when they put us in an NBA bubble for over eighty days and and being was like, it is all about the social justice. It is all about you know, things that that things that are bigger than basketball. I was like, okay, fine, you know, the kneeling and then talking about this issue

that issue. Fine, But then two years later this happened, and people are picking and choosing what's happening. And I told him, like, human assuming it doesn't matter that you know the things are happening in America or anywhere else, you know. Um, I mean, yes, it did come a lot of you know, consequences. I pretty much you know, past my job. But I feel like someone had to

open that door. Someone had to open that door because I was like, not not only in the NBA, but you see Hollywood, Um, I guess Wall Street Academias, big Tag Congress, and local congress that are being run by the Chinese government. I was like, you know what enough to see now someone had to say stuff to this uh big mess and ione out then spoke up. But you know, even beyond the professional aspect of it, you know, right now we're we're seeing in the World Cup you

have Iranian soccer players. The team captain spoke spoken support of protests that are happening uh in his own country, saying that you know, we support the protests, we support them, and we sympathize with them regarding the conditions. And as a result, their families are being threatened back home, being threatened with torture, imprisonment. But this is something that you've experienced with speaking out against Urdawan and your own government.

Intern Well, now you're an American, but when you know, growing up in Turkey, of of calling out Urtawan, your family has faced retribution for that there was an ex edition request for your life and for you so so talk about sort of that experience with uh, you know, having that fear of you know, your government back home wanting to to do harm to your family and to you.

Of course I'm back in two thousand Ceartain there was a coruscious scandal happening searching and it was the first time that I said something about it, you know, um and because of the NBA platform, and became a conversation in the United States and in Turkey, and I was like, even one simple you know, either tweet or interview, you can affect as much from now and I'm going to start pay attention about what's going on in my country. More so, I started to study and started to you know,

speak up. And the more I talked about it, the more, um, you know, they put pressure on me and my family. You know, my dad was a scientist. You got fired from his job. My sister went to medical school for six years. She still cannot find a job. Actually, until this day, my little brother was playing basketball. He literally got kicked on every every team. Um. They were getting affected so much they had to put a statement out there and saying we are disowning and as publicly the

lot of still lot that actually on the internet. Um, you know, they the government, Turkish government didn't believe that. They sent police to my house in Turkey and they raided the whole house and they took every electronics away because they wanted to see if I am still in contact with my family or not. And they couldn't find no evidence, but they still took my dad in jail for a while, and then you know, they revoke my passport,

put my name on into polars. Um. That's what That's what I'm trying to show, like my teammates, that's what

I'm trying to show people in America. Like I understand, I'm not saying anyone is perfect in the country is perfect, but I really want to take my teammates buy their ticket right taking to these countries like China, like Russia, Iran, or Korea and Aziel Cuba, and I can go on and on, you know, and say, listen, you couldn't decide this country and that you know here, but look at Iran, look at China, look at Russia, look at North Korea, look at it as you are like Cuba who have

or Turkey you know, Um, you know, the athletes definitely needs to speak up more about what's going on because I mean, they're one word could affect and inspire millions of kids. Um, it's important. Well, you know, and it's also important because you know, I am an America and I grew up here. But you know, we we do see sort of you know, censorship and things like that increasing in our country, and it's important to know the purpose and what's important about freedom so that we preserve it.

So you know, what would you tell people as someone who has really experienced authoritarianism in a real, real way, in a way that we haven't yet, thank god here in America, But you know, we fear that happening. What's the purpose of freedom, what's the importance of it? Why should it be preserved? Yeah, things can change so quickly. I remember that things that were happening in my home

country church Yell. I was like, no, this is one of the most modern Muslim country in the world, that things won't get worse, And it literally changed in like few years. So I feel like, start taking off freedom for you know, uh, granted, and we don't. We don't if we don't educate ourselves things can turn not very quickly in a bad way. Um No, it's it's like I remember, like I agree. So I'll give you guys some examples so that whoever listening to this can understand

way better. My manager's wife is Turkish and her death liked one of my tweet on Twitter. He was in jail for certain days. This is how crazy that he can get, you know, Um, that is only one. There are so many other people that are that who was supporting me was in jail right now. And the crazy thing is, I don't know. I never talked about politics. I talk about human rights. I talk about human rights, I talk about freedom of speech, fremo religion, I talk

about democracy. Um, so things needed to turn out bad very quickly. So that's why I feel like we have to educate ourselves and we have to do what we're supposed to do to, you know, just go out there and live our freedom. And as you're talking about, you've not made this political. It's just the inherent human desire

for for freedom and for you know, human rights. And one thing that really got you when you're talking on stage at the Patriot Awards is you're talking about when you were young in Turkey and how your friends were burning American crosses and American flags and they encouraged you to take partner, but you were like, I don't know

if this is right. And you went to your mom and you said, Mom, this is what's happening, you know, talk about that and sort of just this inherent desire and people for for goodness and a desire for for freedom. So yeah, if you're if you're a politician in Turkey, right, the first thing you do, if you want to be elected again, the first thing you do that you attack, your tack America, you attack Israel, your attack to us. The base is just so uneducated. Unfortunately, they just don't

know any better. So every time whenever the politicians hold their rally or doing interview, the first thing they do they attack, and the base is like, wow, look at our leader that's standing toll against you know, strong countries like America, Israel or days of that, right, Uh, which it's not true. They don't. They just all they do is just talk um. That affects millions of kids in the country because all they do is just see propaganda in TV, on the streets all realities all day. So

when I went downstairs to play with my friends. They were you know, they were burning flags. They were burning American flags, and it's really flags. They were breaking crosses. And that's why it was so important to be coming from an educated family. They're like, you know, this is not the right thing to do. Meet with people first and then decide if they're good or bad. So that's why I was like, promise, I'm not gonna you know, I'm not gonna say who's good or bad to like

meet them. So when I come to America for the first time, I met mom, like, these are one of the like the most nicest and freedom loving and democracy love of people that I ever met. And I visited over fifty six count around the world, you know, um, so I just hope that people can see this in America quick break, trust me, you're gonna want to stay with us. You're seventeen when you came to America. Was that it was seventeen, correct, Yeah, for the first time

I came here when I was seventeen. What was that like, you know, as a seventeen year old to go to an entirely new country kind of what was that experience like for you? It was very scary because I think about this, that you grew up in a country where the whole your whole life, the whole seventy years of life, the only here is propaganda. All you here is how bad Americans are, how evil the Americans. You know that.

That's what That's what you'll hear. My family was so educated, Like you know what, the best the best way to get your education is not Turkey, going America, learning other language, learn different cultures, learn uh, met with people that decide they're good or bad, you know. So that's why they sent me here. When I was seventeen innute, I remember I landed for the first time, I landed in Chicago. I am so nervous. I just don't know what's going

on and people I'm looking at the people weird. I just don't know if they are good or bad, or what they're gonna do to me and stuff. But the more that the more that you talk to people, you get to know people you give a chance. They're like I was like that one of the nicest people. They're asking me if I need to go to a masque. They asked me if I want to eat some holal food. They're asking me to some places that where I can live my culture and religious Really, I was like, this

is so amazing, you know. Um, I think that the one thing that I've seen in America that amazed me the most is how much people spake each other up. And that's what I said from my teammates, uh and some some American friends, and I gave me so much hope. At the same time, it broke my heart because there are over million people I lives in Turkey and there are other millions of hundreds of millions of people that lives in the Middle East. Every day, these kids are

growing up with this propaganda. So and not many of them trust me when I say not many of them has come from an educated family, so they're growing up without knowing what America is about. That they're growing up very anti Semitic, very entire West, very anti American. Um. So that's why it breaks my heart every day that no one that these kids, you know, could be a threat or to be very dangerous for for for the West, just because of the politicians, just because of how they

grew up and stuff. Um. So that's why I'm trying to find ways to change that. Well, I believe you are and I have an immense matter of respect for you. You've actually, you know, sacrificed for for freedom in a way that so many people are too afraid to do. So it's incredibly honor roll. So you should be so proud of what you've done. I read that SpongeBob and Jersey Shore helps you learn English. I'm sorry about the

Jersey Shore. It is. I'm not sure if that's the best example of America, but oh god, so I'll tell you the study it is. Actually, so first time I remember came to America, I was in college. I went to the University of Kentucky. So, like, I let me say, I'm like trying to learn English, and I have a lot of tutors and going to class and stuff. Unlike the it's just not the English that I wanted to learn.

I really wanted to learn in English so where I can communicate with my teammates, my coaches and my friends, you know. So one day I asked my one of my team and I was like, Hey, I really want to get to like, you know, learn about like the American culture and the street language that they speaking in

all the streets and stuff. Tell me a show that I can watch where I can't just you know, because like watching the TV or like movie whatever with subtitle is the best way to one of the best ways you can last darn English, he said, I go, Actually, I got the best show for you. I was like, what is it? He said, Jersey Show. I thought, okay, I had no idea what the show was. I started watching Jersey Show. The first episode, the second episode, all but this is the crazieste uh yeah, Like if this

is what America is about, they have a problem. Uh Well, later on I learned that it's not about assurance stuff. It was just a funny funny that's hilarious. I love that. I love two and in one, Uh, you became an American citizen. You change your name to Freedom, which I love. Your last name to Freedom. Is there anything else you want to leave us with before we go? And us I can't hear. When I was when I was seventeen, back in two thousand nine, I had a practice. I

wasn't I was in prep school. I had a practice. And after the practice, you know, all all my teammates just sitting down in the locker room just well on our phone and stuff, and I s one of my one of the posts that my teammate posted on on Facebook, he was criticized in the president. I immediately turned around. I was like, dude, what are you doing. And he's like, what happened. I was like, I saw your post. He said, okay. I was like, well, you know, you might be in

jail tomorrow. They might come and take you away. And he's like, the all my team I started to laugh because they know the environment that I came from, and they said listen to don't worry about it. This is not Turkey, this is American. And I was very confused. So we all sit down and we we started to talk about the freedom we having this country. Freedom of speech,

religion expression, freedom of protests. Just because of you say something, you don't go to jails, your family won't be torturing stuff. And I was like, I thought they were just talking to a different language because I was so it was just so random, and you know, and uh, the more I grew up in this country, you know that I became my twenties, early twenties, late twenties, and I was like, this is the best thing that the God ever given

to this country, to freedom. I want to put that behind my Jersey and literally inspire millions of kids out there and just carry that word everywhere. Were with me. Um. The last thing I will say is, uh, whoever listening to this, we definitely do our part to make this country better. It doesn't matter you're Muslim, Christian, white, black, or whoever you are. We only have one America and we need to make this country better together. So that's my message. I love that, and it's always good to

get perspective. You know, we've got to preserve freedom. We've got a fight for it. And as cantor freedom, you're awesome. Deep deep respect for you and your voice. Thank you for what you do, thank you for being you, and thank you so much for joining the show. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. H H. What a remarkable guy. Uh. That was really cool to have that conversation with him. I I deeply respect what he's done and the stances

that he has taken. It is incredibly brave. Not a lot of people can say that the stances that they have taken have led to, you know, the arrestment or the retribution being done to their family. So deep respect for him. Thanks so much for listening to the show. Every Monday and Thursday, but you can listen throughout the week. I love reading your reviews and staying ratings on Apple Podcast. Please do that. I always appreciate it. I want to

thank John Cassio for putting this together. Thanks so much.