Former NBA athlete and human rights advocate Enes Kanter Freedom criticized the expanding popularity of democratic socialism within the United States during a television broadcast on July 2, 2026.
Appearing on Fox News' "The Story," the Turkish immigrant highlighted the historical failures of socialist regimes across multiple nations.
Freedom emphasized the critical necessity of defending personal liberty and teaching younger generations about capitalism in America.
Personal History Informs Activism
Freedom's personal history informed his activism.
Growing up in Turkey, he faced strong anti-American sentiment from local politicians who frequently attacked the United States, Christianity, and Western culture.
At nine years old, neighborhood children handed Freedom an American flag alongside a lighter, instructing him to burn it.
Confused by the request, he sought guidance from his mother.
"I looked down and thought, 'This is not the right thing to do,'" recalled Freedom.
His mother instructed him not to harbor hatred toward anyone before meeting them personally.
Freedom eventually prioritized his education and basketball skills under his father's guidance, arriving in the United States at age 17 to attend high school in California before playing college basketball at Kentucky.
"They're telling me to hate America, hate the West, hate Christian people. What do I do?"
recalled Freedom.
The athlete subsequently became the third overall selection in the NBA Draft, gaining a prominent public platform.
His global human rights activism officially began in 2013 when corruption allegations emerged against the Turkish government.
"My mom said, 'I'm not going to tell you what to do, but do not hate anyone before you meet them,'" recalled Freedom.
His public criticism resulted in severe government retaliation against his family members.
His father was stripped of his scientific position and temporarily jailed, his sister could not secure medical employment, and his younger brother lost basketball opportunities.
"He made me promise that I would be a good student before being a good basketball player," said Freedom.
Turkish authorities eventually revoked Freedom's passport and placed a bounty on him, rendering his return unsafe.
Family members publicly disowned him to evade government pressure, which motivated Freedom to expand his advocacy to international political prisoners and persecuted minorities.
"If you're fighting against free media and putting innocent journalists in jail, I'm going to say something," said Freedom.
His efforts led to a Nobel Peace Prize nomination and a Courage Award from the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy in 2022.
That same year, he legally added "Freedom" to his name upon becoming an American citizen.
"Once they put my dad in jail, I knew there was no coming back," said Freedom.
Freedom remembered feeling shocked in high school when classmates openly criticized President Barack Obama.
His teammates had to explain that dissenting political expression is legally protected under American law.
"Basketball was a tool for me," said Freedom.
He expressed concern that contemporary Americans might take their foundational constitutional protections for granted. He noted that free speech and religion can disappear rapidly if not actively appreciated.
"I always asked myself, 'How can I use this platform to be the voice of innocent people who don't have a voice?'"
said Freedom.
Some of his most impactful lessons occurred after a 2015 trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
General Manager Sam Presti immediately brought him to the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum to understand the local history of the 1995 bombing.
"I thought they were crazy," said Freedom.
The experience deeply connected Freedom to the local population, who provided a surrogate family network when his relatives disowned him.
Freedom continues to travel internationally to promote democratic governance and human rights.
"I thought they might be in jail tomorrow," said Freedom.
"People have no idea how blessed and lucky they are," said Freedom.
"Freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of expression—if one generation takes it for granted, you can lose it in a heartbeat," said Freedom.
"He told me, 'This is what this city went through. Every time you go out there, remember who you are playing for,'" said Freedom.
"It was nothing I'd ever experienced before," said Freedom.
"The people are just different," said Freedom.
"They're respectful. They're kind.
They're genuine," said Freedom.
"When I lost my family, I was playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder," said Freedom.
"Literally, the whole state came together and became my family," said Freedom.
