Enes Kanter excoriates the NBA, Nike for not standing up to 'big boss' China: 'Biggest hypocrite companies'
Boston Celtics star Enes Kanter excoriated both the NBA and Nike Wednesday for not standing up to China over human rights abuses being perpetrated by the communist country.
Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter urged President Biden to challenge China’s Xi Jinping ahead of the two world leaders’ meeting on Monday.
Kanter, who has been very outspoken against Xi and the Chinese government, called on the U.S. president to bring up the atrocities Uyghur Muslims face and issues concerning Tibet and Hong Kong.
Boston Celtics' Enes Kanter (13) moves against Toronto Raptors' Isaac Bonga during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Oct. 22, 2021, in Boston.
President @JoeBiden & Dictator Xi Jinping are scheduled to speak @POTUS Stop playing games with bullies & do what you promised to the world!" Kanter wrote.
"Prioritize Human Rights!
"Will @JoeBiden ask about Uyghur Genocide or assault on Tibetans & HK? Or will they pat each other on the back?"
Kanter recently appeared on PBS and blasted the NBA and Nike for not doing more to stand up to China over human rights abuses.
During an appearance on PBS' "Amanpour & Company," Kanter questioned whether the NBA was actually on his side when it came to his decision to speak out against China's treatment of Tibet, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the Uighurs. He also accused Nike of telling "a total lie" in its claims that China was not using slave labor to produce its products.
CELTICS' ENES KANTER SAYS CHINA'S 'INSECURE TYRANT' XI JINPING SHOULDN'T HOST OLYMPICS
FILE PHOTO: Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L) inside the Great Hall of the People in Beijing December 4, 2013. (REUTERS/Lintao Zhang/Pool//File Photo)
Kanter, who spoke out specifically against China's treatment of Tibet in October, told host Christiane Amanpour that his decade-long criticism of his home country Turkey's authoritarian government garnered little attention from the NBA, while one day of speaking out against China brought him a phone call every two hours.
He recalled an instance before a game at Madison Square Garden in which he decided to wear shoes reading "free Tibet." He said NBA officials approached him, imploring him to take them off and suggesting he could be "banned" for wearing them.
Kanter refused to remove them and explained the two individuals apologized to him at halftime and explained that he wasn't breaking any rules by wearing the shoes.
He said the NBA encouraged him to speak out on the issues he cared about, and that he even sat down with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who he claimed reiterated support for him in speaking out against China. Kanter, however, said he was unsure if he believed them.
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"I don’t know how much of that is true, because if they were really supporting me, they would have put something out there. They would have put [out] some kind of statement," he said.
Amanpour asked Kanter why he continued to criticize Nike despite its claim that it followed all international labor standards in producing its products in China. She noted the company didn't respond to her team's request for comment on potential violations of labor standards.
FILE - In this Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019 file photo, Boston Celtics' Enes Kanter plays against the Charlotte Hornets during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)
"Nike, obviously, is one of the biggest — the biggest sponsor for NBA. And two years ago when all the Black Lives Matter happened, Nike was one of the first companies out there, was standing with Black Lives Matter," Kanter said.
"Nike stands with Stop Asian Hate. Nike stands with LGBTQ community. Nike stands with Latino community. But when it comes to China, Nike remains silent because China is the big boss for Nike," he added. "Obviously, they’re not going to be able to answer because they know what they’re doing wrong. They're one of the biggest hypocrite companies in the world."
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Last month, Kanter called Xi a "brutal dictator." He also called out other Muslim leaders and activists to use their voices to combat China.
Monday’s planned virtual meeting is set to be the third since Biden took office and first since China reportedly tested a hypersonic missile.
Fox News’ Brandon Gillespie contributed to this report.
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