Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has once again spoken out against the sportswear giant Nike, claiming they had a role in choosing the USA Men’s Olympic Basketball Team.
His words seem to back up Jaylen Brown, the star player for the Boston Celtics who didn’t make the Olympic team’s final roster. Recently, Kanter suggested on social media that Jaylen Brown’s removal from the U.S. Olympic basketball team might have been for unfair reasons.
Jaylen Brown questioned Nike before Enes Kanter Freedom did after not being picked for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Brown was not selected for the final roster despite being in the player pool. Brown’s Celtics’ teammate Derrick White ended up getting the call instead. This choice caused a lot of debate, which has now ignited more by Kanter’s words.
Kanter said the Celtics’ shooting guard should be on the main roster since he was the NBA Finals MVP. Referring to Jaylen’s criticism of Nike, the former NBA player tweeted, “The reason Jaylen didn’t get selected for the U.S. National team is because of his criticism of Nike.”
He also hinted that Brown’s religion might be another reason for being snubbed. In his post, Kanter harshly criticized Nike, writing, “Corrupt Nike operates like a mafia. If you go against their agenda, they will find a way to silence you.”
Jaylen Brown Blasts Nike Publicly with Bold Statement
The 2024 NBA Finals MVP joined the league in 2016 and signed with Adidas. He stayed with them until the end of his deal in 2021. Brown hasn’t had a shoe contract since then, although he does wear Nike Kobe Bryant sneakers and a few other versions from New Balance.
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Brown spoke out from under the trench after Kyrie Irving left the Celtics in 2019 and later parted ways with Nike in 2022 over controversial social media posts. He called Nike out on their lack of morals and ethics.
He posted, “Playing for USA Basketball, I think there is no greater honor … Being able to participate would be very cool.” But a few hours later, he posted another tweet directly targeting Nike: “@nike this what we doing?”
