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Celtics big man Enes Kanter Freedom has talked a lot of trash about LeBron James lately but was called out after he appeared to back down to the Los Angeles Lakers star during their matchup on Tuesday.
Freedom has taken a firm aim at James for his stance on China, among other things, with their back and forth dating back to his days with the Cavaliers.
“Two years ago, I tweeted that Hong Kong should be free,” Freedom told the New York Post. “Then LeBron said he is not educated enough about the situation [to comment on it] and that what I tweeted hurt the league. It’s sad that these players are social justice warriors, but, when it comes to China, they are scared to say anything. [Professional wrestler] John Cena and other celebrities, they are so worried about the business side of it. I tell people to stand up for what’s right. Your values are more important than any money you can ever make from China.”
After disputing a blocked shot and sprinting down the court, James walked by the Celtics bench, providing a perfect opportunity for Freedom to say something. Instead, he appeared to look down, avoiding any kind of interaction with James entirely. NBA Twitter took notice of the moment.
James finished the game with 30 points, 5 assists and 4 rebounds. Freedom played just nine minutes, grabbing three rebounds and not scoring.
Freedom Wants to ‘Educate’ LeBron James
Freedom became a US citizen last month and educating James was one of the first tasks he wanted to tackle.
“Sure, I’d love to sit down and talk to him,” Freedom told reporters, per ESPN. “I’m sure it’s going to be a very uncomfortable conversation for him. I don’t know if he’s gonna want that. I’ll make that really comfortable for him.
“I don’t know if he’s educated enough, but I’m here to educate him and I’m here to help him, because it’s not about money. It’s about morals, principles and values. It’s about what you stand for. There are way bigger things than money. If LeBron stopped making money now, his grandkids and grandkids and grandkids can have the best life ever.”
James didn’t take too kindly to the comments and fired back at Freedom.
“I think if you know me, you know I don’t give too many people my energy,” James said. “He’s definitely not someone I would give my energy to. He’s trying to use my name to create an opportunity for himself. I definitely won’t comment too much on that.
“He’s always had a word or two to say in my direction, and as a man, if you’ve got an issue with somebody, you really come up to him. He had his opportunity tonight. I seen him in the hallway, and he walked right by me.”
Lakers Put on Show Against Celtics
The Lakers got the best of the Celtics and James put on an offensive clinic, hitting on 13 of his 19 shots and finishing with a team-best plus-18.
“There are some things we can clean up, but tonight was one of the best 48-minute game we’ve had so far,” James told reporters after the game. “If we defend at a high level that we know we’re capable of like we did tonight, then we give ourselves a good chance to win every night.”
His Lakers’ co-stars also came through in a big way, with Anthony Davis notching 17 points and 16 rebounds and Russell Westbrook recording 24 points and 11 assists.
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