Former NBA player, outspoken China critic Freedom says future includes running for elected office

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, an advocate for minorities in China subject to human rights violations, says he plans to run for elected office.

Freedom, who last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season, for the Boston Celtic, talked about his future plans Thursday on the Fox Business Channel. 

He said one of his passions is advocating for the "millions of people in concentration camps" in China who are "getting tortured and raped every day."

Beijing has rejected accusations about operating “concentration camps” in its Xinjiang region.

When Freedom was asked this week whether he plans to run for elected office, he said, "I actually do. I actually do, yes."

However, he did not give a specific timeline for when that would happen. 

"I would actually when the time is right," Freedom continued. "And shout out to, you know, whoever is out there listening. 'Yes, of course I would love to.' "

Freedom said that he was in the process of making plans to run for office but has not started raising money yet. 

"I started to have conversations with some of my friends and members of Congress," he said. 

Born in Switzerland to Turkish parents, Freedom was raised in Turkey and moved to the United States as a teenager.

He has had multiple instances of speaking out against the Chinese Communist Party. In October 2021, he referred to China President Xi Jinping as a "brutal dictator." 

He's also advocated for the boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games because they were held in China. 

Freedom has argued he was forced out of the National Basketball Association because of his activism against China, which has become a big secondary market for the pro league.

The NBA has denied the allegation.