Enes Kanter Freedom said he would welcome the opportunity to speak to LeBron, whom he has been extremely critical of because of not speaking out about human rights violations in China.
While speaking on a possible sit-down conversation with the Lakers star, he also took a shot at his education level.
“Sure, I’d love to sit down and talk to him,” Freedom said Tuesday after the Celtics’ practice, per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “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.
“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. 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.
“I feel like it’s definitely time for athletes to stand up for the things they believe in … not just in America … but all over the world.”
Freedom, who became a U.S. citizen on Monday and changed his last name to celebrate, has repeatedly spoken out against both James and Nike for their failure to call out human rights abuses against the Uyghur population in China’s Xinjiang province.
After the Celtics beat the Lakers at TD Garden earlier this month, James stated that Freedom has a chance to talk with him, but he walked right past in the hallway.
When asked about that, Freedom had a different side to the story.
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“I was actually on the court and after I left the court, he was behind me. … Then I stopped to take a picture with a kid, and he was the one who walked right past me,” Freedom said.
On Tuesday, Freedom reiterated his feeling that Nike is “the biggesthypocrite company out there,” noting, “They stand for Black Lives Matter in America — amazing. They stand for the Latino community. No Asian hate. They stand with the LGBTQ community. But when it comes to some of the countries out there, like China, they remain silent. Obviously they are using these players to become the face, like Cristiano Ronaldo for soccer, LeBron for basketball, and some other athletes. But they’re becoming puppets.
“I feel like we need to be careful of what we are wearing, because every time you put those items on your feet or back, there’s so much blood or sweat or oppression on those items.”
Throughout the season, Freedom has been wearing shoes depicting various people and places he has spoken out against.
