"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.
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"Literally, the whole state came together and became my family," said Freedom.
