Enes Kanter has been garnering a lot of attention recently for his comments. A little under a month ago, Kanter called out Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Nike for using ‘slave labor camps’ in China, pointing out the human rights abuse in the manufacturing process.
This week, Kanter again went after LeBron James, ahead of the Lakers’ clash with the Celtics. He slammed LeBron again for his and Nike’s association with China and wore shoes with insulting iconography of LeBron and China.
James responded after the game against Kanter, saying that Kanter avoided him in the locker room and didn’t have anything to say to him face to face despite making all these comments online.
And now, Kanter has gone after Michael Jordan once again, in insulting fashion. In an interview with CNN, Kanter slammed Michael Jordan, saying that he doesn’t try to help the African-American community at the cost of jeopardizing his shoe sales.
“Not many people are talking about Michael Jordan. 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. 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, and I feel like we need to call out these athletes and not be scared about who they are.”
These comments from Kanter will not sit well with MJ, his camp, or his fanbase. Jordan’s involvement in activism has come into question in the past. But even recently, MJ has made a lot of efforts to help uplift the community.
During the summer of political unrest, Jordan and his brand committed $100 million to the Black Lives Matter movement over 10 years, in an effort to help the community find more opportunities in the future.
Kanter’s comments have drummed up a lot of controversies, but he seems committed to his cause of bringing attention to social justice issues that aren’t discussed. And there are a lot of questions about his approach, insulting two of the biggest icons in the game to do so.
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