NBA player ignites Chinese outrage for calling Xi ‘brutal dictator,’ ‘Free Tibet’ messages

NBA player ignites Chinese outrage for calling Xi ‘brutal dictator,’ ‘Free Tibet’ messages

October 22, 2021
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An NBA player has earned the ire of Chinese fans and authorities after posting pro-Tibet messages on social media.   
Speaking out: Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter announced in a video posted on Wednesday that he was adding his voice to “speak out against what is happening in Tibet under the Chinese government’s brutal rule.”
  • Addressing Chinese President Xi Jinping as “brutal dictator,” the center said, “My message to the Chinese government is ‘Free Tibet. Tibet belongs to Tibetans.’”
  • The video came out on the same day he wore sneakers emblazoned with the words “Free Tibet” during a game against the New York Knicks. In the video, he wears a shirt with the Dalai Lama on it.
  • “I say, ‘Shame on the Chinese government.’ The Chinese dictatorship is erasing Tibetan identity and culture,” Kanter went on.
View post on Twitter
  • In a follow-up video, the player called Jinping the “heartless dictator of China” and urged  him to “close down the SLAVE labor camps and free the UYGHUR people!”
View post on Twitter
  • Kanter, who is of Turkish heritage, is one of the NBA’s most outspoken players on socio-political issues.
  • His criticisms of Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have led to his Turkish passport getting revoked.
  • The basketball star has previously expressed fears that his life could be in danger at the hands of Turkish agents.
  • His posts have since generated thousands of retweets and messages of support from fans.
View post on Twitter
View post on Twitter
View post on Twitter
Immediate backlash: Following the post, playback for the Celtics-Knicks game coverage became unavailable on local Chinese streaming platform Tencent, with its sports division further indicating that upcoming Celtics games will no longer be streamed.
  • The platform similarly “punished” the Houston Rockets in 2019 after the team’s then-general manager Daryl Morey tweeted an image voicing support for Hong Kong protesters, NextShark previously reported.
  • In addition to streaming services, Chinese leagues, sponsors, and partners cut ties with both the Rockets and the NBA.
  • A fan account supporting the Celtics on Weibo condemned Kanter’s message and declared that it would no longer post about the team.
  • “Resolutely resist any behavior that damages national harmony and the dignity of the motherland!” the account posted.
Featured Image via Enes Kanter
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      Ryan General

      Ryan General
      is a Senior Reporter for NextShark

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