NBA Star Enes Kanter Slams Nike Over Company's Silence on China
NBA Star Enes Kanter ripped Nike over their silence on China's certain issues, which the sports apparel company failed to voice out their stand.
The Boston Celtics player took to his social media on Monday to voice out his concerns and causes, as he compared how active Nike is to the United States when it comes to advocacies.
"Your company says that you're making in our communities. And that is true. Yes, you are," Kanter said, adding that Nike stands with certain causes such as Black Lives Matter, stopping Asian hate, Latino community, and LGBTQ community.
"But when it comes with China, Nike remains silent. You [Nike] do not address police brutality in China... You do not say a word about the oppression of minorities in China. You are scared to speak up," The NBA star said.
NBA Star Enes Kanter Rips Nike Over Its Forced Labor Connection With China
The NBA star went on to ask the company if they know who manufactures their shoes in China, mentioning the forced laborers in the country.
"Who makes your shoes in China? Do you even know? There are so many forced labor factories in China," The Boston Celtics player said.
Kanter furthered that forced laborers, specifically Uyghurs, were detrained, sold, and assigned to work at forced labor camps, calling the situation a "modern-day slavery."
The NBA star then pointed out that most of the global brands are tainted by the Uyghur forced labor.
"Did you know that almost the entire apparel and footwear industry is tainted by Uyghur forced labor? Many well-known global brands are implicated, and yes that includes one of the NBA's biggest sponsors, Nike," the NBA star stressed.
Nike previously said that their company does not source products from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XAUR). The company also underscored that its Code of Conduct and Code of Leadership Standards do not allow forced and indentured labor.
However, Kanter disputed the company's claims, stressing that Nike has no proof against their claims.
"Nike claims that they do not allow any forced labor in their supply chains. Yet, they don't have the receipt to prove it," Enes Kanter said.
The NBA star then called out the owner of Nike, Phil Knight, to invite him on a trip to China and visit the slave labor camps in the country. Kanter also invited star players LeBron James and Michael Jordan to come with them.
Enes Kanter Wears "Free China" Shoes While in an NBA Game
Kanter's comments about Nike came a day after he wore statement shoes saying "Free China" while playing against the Houston Rockets on Sunday, South China Morning Post reported.
The said shoes were made by Shanghai-born, Australia-based cartoonist Badiucao. The shoes that Kanter wore show a "Free China" statement on one side, and an illustration of the iconic "Tank Man" scene with the tops of the tanks replaced with the head of "Winnie The Pooh."
Kanter also took to Twitter to showcase the shoes, adding #XinnieThePooh as a tag.
The image of "Winnie The Pooh" compared to President Xi Jinping was banned in China after a photo went viral in 2018 in which he was seen walking with U.S. President Barrack Obama.
It was not the first time Enes Kanter wore statement shoes against China. On Wednesday, the NBA star wore a pair that says "Free Tibet" and he wore another pair on Friday with the statement "Free Uyghur."
This article is owned by Latin Post.
Written By: Joshua Summers
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