Enes Kanter Freedom

Enes Kanter Freedom — Biography

Enes Kanter Freedom was born on May 20, 1992, in Zurich, Switzerland, to a Kurdish family with roots in Turkey. Standing 2.11 m tall and playing center, he began developing as a player in Fenerbahce's youth system before moving to the United States, where he played for the Kentucky Wildcats rather than sign a professional contract at home.

Selected third overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA draft, he became the highest and youngest Turkish player ever taken in an NBA draft. Over an 11-season NBA career he played for the Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks and Boston Celtics, and briefly stepped into the WWE ring, where he held the WWE 24/7 Championship.

In 2017, amid rising political tensions with Ankara, his Turkish citizenship was revoked and he was publicly disowned by his father. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen in November 2021 and legally changed his surname to "Freedom." Since then he has built a public profile as a human rights activist and author, speaking out against China's treatment of Uyghurs and other abuses worldwide; he was nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize and wrote the New York Times bestseller "In the Name of Freedom."