basketball
NBA professional Enes Kanter changes his name – and makes a political statement
NBA pro Enes Kanter from the Boston Celtics is now called Enes Kanter Freedom
© Darren Abate / AP / DPA
Professional basketball player Enes Kanter becomes a US citizen and changes his name to Enes Kanter Freedom. With this, the NBA player reaffirms his commitment against authoritarian state systems.
Basketball fans will be familiar with the name Enes Kanter as the center of the Boston Celtics. But the fans will have to get used to it: From now on, the 29-year-old officially bears the name Enes Kanter Freedom. The name change, which was first reported by the sports portal “The Athletic”, was approved by a court.
Kanter adopts the new name as part of his naturalization as an American. The basketball player, who has lived in the United States since 2009, is originally from Turkey, but was considered stateless for years. In 2017, Turkey withdrew his passport after Kanter publicly criticized the head of state after the failed coup attempt against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
NBA basketball player Enes Kanter criticizes Erdogan and China
Kanter is a supporter of Erdogan’s opponent Fethullah Gülen and his movement, which, according to Erdogan, was responsible for the coup. After criticizing the head of state on Twitter, his family broke up with him and advised him to change his surname. At the time, Kanter replied that Gülen meant “more to him than his family” and changed his name to Enes Gülen on Twitter.
The name change to Enes Kanter Freedom – Kanter should be his new middle name, Freedom the surname – is also intended as a political statement. For months he has been campaigning publicly for the rights of the oppressed Uighur minority in China and criticizing the government in the Middle Kingdom. The Olympic Winter Games are scheduled to take place in the Chinese capital Beijing in February. Kanter protested against this with shoes that read “No Beijing 2022” or “Free Tibet”. In China, reports about the basketball professional are just as censored as his social media appearances. There, Kanter described the Chinese head of state Xi Jinping as a “brutal dictator”.
Sources: “The Athletic” / “Daily News”