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Former OKC Thunder center Enes Kanter Freedom criticised the NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal on Tuesday for standing and posing alongside Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Enes Kanter Freedom slams Shaquille O'Neal
Kanter is a famous critic of Erdogan and lambasted Shaq on social media for "posing with a dictator."
Re-sharing Erdogan's tweet on X (formerly Twitter), Kanter wrote a long message to Shaq.
"Hey @SHAQ, let me teach you a lesson," Freedom wrote. "At what point do you choose morals over money? Whether you were paid for these photo ops or not is irrelevant. You willingly posed next to a man the entire world knows is a dictator."
Freedom went on to note down the atrocities that President Erdogan has committed, before slamming Shaq's integrity.
"Before smiling for cameras with a world-known dictator, ask yourself one question: How much is your integrity worth?" Kanter continued. "Because when you choose money and access over morals, values, and principles, you are no longer neutral."
"You are helping normalize evil. I am not trying to embarrass you. I am holding you accountable ... What you are doing is beneath you. History is very clear about people who chose comfort and profit over courage. Choose wisely."
The lengthy post noted Kanter's aversion towards the Turkish president. The two have been at odds for years, with the former NBA star even having his Turkish passport revoked after a series of criticism of the leader.
While O'Neal's reasons for meeting Erdogan remain uncertain, the duo met at the Basketball Development Center in Istanbul, participating in a quick shoot around exchanging basketballs with each other.
Shaquille O'Neal once slammed Enes Kanter Freedom
Enes Kanter Freedom found himself in the spotlight on Tuesday following drawing attention to Shaquille O'Neal's meeting with the Turkish president. But the exchange reopened an old chapter between the two, as this is not the first time they have crossed paths in controversy.
The problem dates back to 2021, when Kanter took a public swipe at Michael Jordan, raising questions on the NBA icon's impact on the Black community.
“Michael Jordan has not done anything for the Black community because he cares too much about his shoe sales all over the world and America,” Kanter said at the time.
The remark immediately drew a reaction from O'Neal, who took exception to Kanter speaking on Jordan's legacy off the court. Shaq did not sugarcoat his words in his response.
“Don’t be talking about what Mike does for the Black community,” he said. “I don’t know his name, I’m not memorizing his name, I don’t give a sh*t what he changes his name to.”
Alluding to Kanter's decision to adopt "Freedom" as his surname, O'Neal made it certain he viewed the comments as disrespectful toward one of the game's most revered figures.
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