"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.
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"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.
