New Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter spoke about his decision to turn down a return to the Portland Trail Blazers after a rousing stint in the postseason that saw its end in the Western Conference Finals.

The 6-foot-11 center told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated via text about his reasoning for leaving Rip City and getting a fresh start in Bean Town.

“Ok, I was considering signing with Blazers but they gave me only 6 min to make a decision. I felt pressure. And didn't feel comfortable. So I told him I need to think about it so I can call my brother so he can ask my family. Cause I can't call my family directly but they kept pushing so I told them NO!”

Kanter notably has had a strained relationship with his family back in Turkey due to his political beliefs and the strong friction between his home country and the safety of his family.

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The big man can't communicate with them in fear that they would be arrested after a mandate from President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could put them in danger.

It seems unlikely that the Blazers would have been unreceptive of that request, given how they were completely on board with Kanter's honoring of his decision to fast for the holy month of Ramadan.

News of Kanter's signing with the Celtics came only an hour after a Hassan Whiteside trade had been announced, as the Blazers picked up a replacement center by sending Meyers Leonard and Mo Harkless to the Miami Heat earlier on Monday.

The move likely set out Kanter's eventual departure.