Boston Celtics big man Enes Kanter had not played a game outside of the United States since November of 2018. That is, until he took the floor Scotiabank Arena on Sunday against the Toronto Raptors.

Kanter has been outwardly critical of Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who just last January issued an international arrest warrant for Kanter.

But on Sunday, Kanter made another statement of his own, wearing a t-shirt with “Freedom for ALL” written on the front. Kanter also rocked sneakers with “FREEDOM” inscribed along the sides:

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Kanter had to receive clearance in order to play on Sunday due in part to his relationship with the Turkish government, which has been rather contentious for the last few years.

The 27-year-old traveled to Washington, D.C. in November to help introduce a bill that condemned the “alleged violation of human rights in Turkey” (from Reuters via U.S. News & World Report):

As Erdogan arrived in the United States for a White House meeting on Wednesday with U.S. President Donald Trump, Senators Edward Markey and Ron Wyden held up Kanter as a victim of the Turkish government's targeting of political rivals.

Kanter continues to be vocal in his criticisms of the current Turkish regime, and this first game marks another critical step on an individual level.

Although he was signed to replace Al Horford, Kanter has played just over 17 minutes per contest in his first 20 games as he continues to recover from nagging injuries.

Kanter posted a double-double in just 18 minutes of action as the Celtics led the Raptors in the fourth quarter.