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On the court, New York Knicks big man Enes Kanter is perceived as a decent basketball player with some weaknesses and inconsistency. But off the court, Kanter might be one of the strongest human beings in the NBA.
Kanter lived in Turkey until he was 17 years old. He described that period as the best time in his life. Given all the conflict surrounding Syria and brutal violence against Turkish citizens, nothing is the same today. There is no freedom of speech and citizens are subject to oppression.
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Now living in the U.S., Kanter openly criticizes the Turkish government, using his social media platforms to share his thoughts. In a recent interview with ESPN's Ian Begley, Kanter commented why he holds his political stand and what do his family and friends say about it:
“My friends and my friends' families are in jail right now in Turkey. They want to do something, but if they talk about it, only two or three people are going to hear about it. That's why [I use my platform to talk about it]. People, even my teammates, were saying, ‘Why are you doing this? Are you crazy? Why are you talking about all of this politics and stuff if your family is back in Turkey?' People don't understand that, I understand they're my family, but there are thousands of families in Turkey right now wrongly in jail. … When I talk to my teammates and I talk them one-on-one and say, ‘OK, this is what's going on in Turkey. This is the reason I'm talking. This is the reason I'm speaking publicly on social media,' or whatever. And they say, ‘You're right. Just keep doing what you're doing.'”
It is hard for others to step on Kanter's shoes, as his situation is very different. All the oppression in Turkey do not seem to stop him from stating his side to try and help others out.
