NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal is once again at the center of a global firestorm that mixes cultural outreach and political controversy with sports. In his recent trip to Istanbul, Turkey, the basketball legend had a photoshoot with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. While the images showed an exchange of signed basketballs, they triggered an honest response from a former Boston Celtics player who has sacrificed his own career to speak out against the Turkish regime.
That player was Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA center and current outspoken human rights activist who did not let the situation slide, accusing the four-time champion of “kissing up” to a dictator and “laundering his crimes.”
An attempt to clean their image?
The encounter took place at the newly opened Turkcell Basketball Development Center in Istanbul, where photos were taken showing President Erdogan alongisde Shaq, both holding the signed basketballs. Erdonan himslef uploaded those to his social media accounts, igniting all the afterward rage.
The thing is that, Ibrahim Kaln, head of Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MT), appears in the background, providing a more state-sanctioned endorsement of the regime’s image for those who know.
What was seen as an innocent moment by some, others found in the pictures a “laundering attempt” of the Turkish goverment to clean their image worldwide, taking advantage of Shaquille O’Neal’s influence.
Geopolitical lesson of Freedom
Enes Kanter Freedom, known to have lived in exile since the Turkish government revoked his passport and placed a $500,000 bounty on his head, took to X to deliver what he called a “lesson” to O’Neal.
“At what point do you choose morals over money? Whether you were paid for these photo ops or not is irrelevant. You willingly posed next to a man the entire world knows is a dictator
Freedom’s words were deeply personal. As a former Celtic who once wore “Free Tibet” sneakers on the court, he argued that Shaq’s global influence makes him the perfect toy to cover tyranny. By standing next to Erdogan, Freedom claims O’Neal is helping to legitimize and wash the image of a leader accused of silencing dissent and human rights abuses.
Shaquille O’Neal has become a recurrent visitor of the muslim country, as it is a frequent stop for his DJ Diesel sets and other business ventures. That is why Freedom’s tweet talked about morals over money, as Shaq does not need the money or the approval of these controversial figures.
At the time this article is being written, Shaquille O’Neal has not said anything regarding the matter.
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