Lakers: Metta Sandiford-Artest Offers Unique Perspective on Enes Kanter Freedom Outspokenness
Boston Celtics player formerly known as Enes Kanter recently became a US citizen and changed his name Enes Kanter Freedom.
Freedom has been on full-attack mode all season outside of basketball. Always one for speaking out, he has turned his attention to China and any organization or people that continue to do business with them. As a Muslim, he has been speaking out mostly for the Uyghurs that are being forced against their wills to turn against their religion and work in concentration camps.
He has lambasted LeBron James for still working with Nike, since it is widely known Nike shoes and apparel are largely made in China. Even Brooklyn Nets majority owner Joe Tsai has caught the wrath of Freedom for being chummy with China and helping promote the Brooklyn Nets to China. The Turkish center turned his attention to Michael Jordan and how Jordan has not done anything for the Black community. Just this morning, he tweeted and went after Jeremy Lin for continuing to take China’s money, and not standing with his native country Taiwan.
On the 'Big Podcast with Shaq', Shaquille O’Neal did not even want to give Freedom the time of day to talk about. However, his guest Metta Sandiford-Artest had some interesting thoughts on what Freedom has said.
"I feel like he reaching a little bit because you can't fault certain people for doing what they do. For example: you make it to the league, you make a ton of money. Let's say you're Michael Jordan, you're not trying to mess your bread up because we don't get these opportunities much. He’s looking at this from a different lense, a lense that is non-relatable.”
Freedom is just different from a lot of people. It probably has to do with how he is banned from his home country due to his outspokenness. He has never had any qualms to speak out against social justice issues even if it affects his bank account.
“Some people are built differently. And I think he's looking at it from a lense of, 'we're here now in America, I'm doing something right.' But we from the trenches. I'm from New York, where the police used to plant drugs on us. We're from the trenches man, we're trying to make it. He don't get that part. I understand he's looking at it from a lense of, 'we're gonna fight for black people' but he don't understand what comes with that."
Sandiford-Artest offers forthright thoughts compared to so many people who have simply been throwing partisan comments at Freedom. In contrast with a lot of his colleagues in the NBA, Freedom did not grow up with a rough black upbringing. When people go from that to making millions, it is tough to call out establishments that sign your paychecks. Currently on a one-year deal, it will be interesting to see if he will still find a job in the NBA after this season.
