China vetoes Celtics after player Enes Kanter criticizes “dictator” Xi-Jinping

The NBA again has a problem with China two years after the incident produced by the already ex general manager of the Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey. This time it was Enes Kanter, a Turkish player for the Boston Celtics, who has come out in defense of the independence of Tibet.

“Dear brutal dictator Xi Jinping and the Chinese government. Tibet belongs to the Tibetan people!” Said the Celtics center in a message posted on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. “I stand with my Tibetan brothers and sisters and support their calls for freedom,” he added.

This, how could it be otherwise, has caused the first reaction from China, with Tencent as the protagonist. The chain in charge of broadcasting the NBA stopped giving the Celtics game against the Knicks showing only photos and text of the meeting, according to reports CNBC. And so it will be on the following Massachusetts team dates.

Dear Brutal Dictator XI JINPING and the Chinese Government

Tibet belongs to the Tibetan people!#FreeTibet pic.twitter.com/To4qWMXK56

?? Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) October 20, 2021

A case similar to that of the Sixers, whose games remain without being broadcast (only photos and text) due to China’s veto of Daryl Morey, now president of operations of the Philadelphia team, for showing his defense on Twitter in favor of Hong Kong.

China has repeatedly said that issues related to Tibet, the northwestern region of Xinjiang and Hong Kong are not human rights issues. China maintains that these are “internal affairs” and that other countries should not interfere.

It is not the first time that Kanter gets into this kind of trouble. Defender of various political causes, the Celtics player cannot enter Turkey due to his criticism of Erdogan. “Dictator” or “Hitler of our century” are some of the dedications of this controversial player to the Turkish president that have cost him entry to his country.