Opinion

In the NBA, Freedom stands tall against China

“We must always take sides,” Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel said while accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. “Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere.”

For many celebrities and athletes, openly criticizing China’s genocide and mass atrocities comes with huge costs and risks. That’s why corporations and their hired stars bend over backward to avoid offending the delicate sensibilities of the Chinese Communist Party. But in the National Basketball Association, Boston Celtics player Enes Kanter Freedom is answering Wiesel’s call and trying to force the rest of us to choose between silence and speaking up.