Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter Freedom says he welcomes the chance to sit down and speak with LeBron James about the human rights abuses in China.
Freedom has been vocal about his criticism of China’s human rights abuses and recently slammed NBA sponsor Nike as well as James for their failure, in his eyes, to call out the injustices taking place against the Uyghur population in China's Xinjiang province.
Speaking on Tuesday to the media after a Celtics practice session, Freedom said he was willing to "educate" James on the matter.
"Sure, I'd love to sit down and talk to him. I'm sure it's going to be a very uncomfortable conversation for him. I don't know if he's gonna want that. I'll make that really comfortable for him," Freedom said, according to ESPN.
"I don't know if he's educated enough, but I'm here to educate him, and I'm here to help him, because it's not about money," Freedom continued. "It's about morals, principles, and values. It's about what you stand for. There are way bigger things than money. If LeBron stopped making money now, his grandkids and grandkids and grandkids can have the best life ever."
Freedom, who became a U.S. citizen on Monday and changed his last name from Kanter to Freedom, added that it was "definitely time for athletes to stand up for the things they believe in.
"Not just in America ... but all over the world," he said.
In November, James addressed Freedom's criticism, saying he was not someone he would give his energy to.
"He's trying to use my name to create an opportunity for himself," James added, according to Yahoo Sports.
James was referencing a tweet in which Freedom wrote, "Money over morals for the 'King.'"
"Sad and disgusting how these athletes pretend they care about social justice," Freedom continued in his tweet. "They really do 'shut up and dribble' when Big Boss [China] says so. Did you educate yourself about the slave labor that made your shoes or is that not part of your research?"
James said that Freedom had a longstanding beef with him.
"He's always had a word or two to say in my direction, and as a man, if you've got an issue with somebody, you really come up to him," he said, according to Yahoo Sports, adding that Freedom had the opportunity to resolve the issue in person but did not take the opportunity to do so.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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