For a while now Enes Kanter has been speaking up against China, its President Xi Jinping, Nike, its owner Phil Knight, the NBA, and LeBron James. He has now called out Michael Jordan.
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The Boston Celtics star Enes Kanter is concerned about the human rights issues in China, particularly those concerning the Muslim minority group called the Uyghurs, who trace their origin back to Turkey.
There is speculation that China which is a major manufacturer and distributor of Nike has forced labor camps in a few parts of the country. The Celtics big man has challenged LeBron James and Phil Knight openly to come with him and visit those camps.
For a long time, the Turkish international has been vocal about LeBron being the face of NBA social justice issues in the United States and not speaking up on the matters related to China.
As China has been one the biggest markets for NBA in the past few decades, Kanter believes the King doesn’t want to hurt his own, Nike’s, or NBA’s business in China.
But someone is even bigger than LeBron James for the Nike brand, namely Michael Jordan. And Enis Kanter remembered that MJ hasn’t been called out on the matter yet.
Enis Kanter calls out Michael Jordan
Air Jordan has been Nike’s biggest personal line of the brand since its existence. Michael Jordan is probably the athlete which made Nike the brand it is today. His name was the biggest representation for the NBA and Nike in the 1990s throughout the globe. Both these companies/organizations’ values skyrocketed because of MJ.
And Jordan being so distant from politics and involved so much in his craft once said ‘Republicans buy sneakers, too’ which caught a lot of attention then and also when the documentary, “The Last Dance” came up. He has since cleared up his motive behind the infamous line. But Enes Kanter criticized the Bulls legend for his mentality recently.
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) November 21, 2021
“Not many people are talking about Michael Jordan,” he said. “Michael Jordan hasn’t done anything, nothing, for the Black community in America besides just, you know, giving them money. I feel like we need to call out these athletes. At least LeBron James is going out there and being the voice of all those people who are oppressed in America.”
He continued, saying Jordan “has not done anything for the Black community because he cares too much about his shoe sales all over the world and America.”
Jordan has done a lot for the black community since his retirement and the resources LeBron James has provided to the people in Cleveland and around the country are far more and better than what most Billionaires in the United States provide.
But still, if there is truth to this China situation, Nike should cut its ties with China or the big athletes who are in contract with Nike should rethink their bond.
China’s freedom to press, the sudden disappearance of some public figures like the business tycoon Jack Ma and Tennis star Peng Shuai and then reappearance after weeks, are a few things that propels one to think if the Chinese government can do that to powerful people, what are they doing with civilians.
It’s not difficult for MJ, LeBron, and Nike to do “their research” and come to a conclusion as it is pretty evident that China is capable of doing what Kanter claims they are doing.
