Enes Kanter Freedom Biography – Enes Kanter Freedom was born on 20 May 1992. He is a Swiss-born Turkish-American former basketball player and human rights activist.
He played in the NBA for 11 seasons. He mainly played as a center. The Utah Jazz selected him with the 3rd overall pick in the year 2011 NBA Draft.
He became famous for his basketball career. As well he is also famous for his work as a human rights activist.
Enes Kanter Freedom Biography
Enes Kanter Freedom was born on 20 May 1992. He is a Turkish-American former professional basketball player and human rights activist.
He played in the NBA for 11 seasons. He was born in Switzerland to Kurdish parents. He grew up in Turkey and moved to the United States as a teenager.
The Utah Jazz selected him with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft in year 2011. He is mainly plays as an center.
Freedom is also famous for speaking about human rights issues. He has also spoken about the treatment of Uyghurs and forced labor.
He became a voice for people facing oppression around the world. Freedom also made a short appearance in WWE. He was once the WWE 24/7 Champion.
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Enes Kanter Freedom |
| Date of Birth | May 20, 1992 |
| Birthplace | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Turkish-American |
| Profession | Former Basketball Player and Human Rights Activist |
| NBA Career | 2011–2022 |
| NBA Seasons | 11 |
| Position | Center |
| NBA Draft | 2011 |
| Draft Pick | 3rd overall |
| Draft Team | Utah Jazz |
| Known For | NBA career and human rights activism |
Enes Kanter Freedom Family
Enes Kanter Freedom’s family faced serious problems because of his political views. His father is Dr. Mehmet Kanter.
He is a doctor and former university professor. His mother worked as a nurse. Enes strongly opposed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
He also supported the exiled cleric Fethullah Gülen. In 2016, his family publicly disowned him. His father later said that the family faced strong pressure from the Turkish government.
The family took this step because they feared government action against them.
| Family Member | Details |
|---|---|
| Father | Dr. Mehmet Kanter |
| Father’s Profession | Doctor and former university professor |
| Mother | Gülsüm Kanter |
| Mother’s Profession | Nurse |
| Siblings | Three younger siblings |
| Brother | Kerem Kanter |
| Family Background | Kurdish and Turkish |
| Family Issue | His family faced pressure because of his political views |
Enes Kanter Freedom Career
Before moving to the United States, Enes Kanter played for Fenerbahçe’s youth team from 2006 to 2008. He later played for the Fenerbahçe senior team during the 2008–09 season.
He appeared in nine games for the team. Fenerbahçe and Olympiacos offered him professional contracts. Kanter turned them down because he wanted to play high school and college basketball in the United States.
In 2011, the Utah Jazz selected Kanter with the third overall pick in the NBA Draft. He signed with the Jazz in December 2011.
During his first season, he played in all 66 regular-season games. He averaged 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game.
In February 2015, Kanter was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In his first game for the Thunder, he scored 10 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.
He later scored a career-high 30 points against the Dallas Mavericks. In September 2017, Kanter was traded to the New York Knicks.
He had several strong games with the Knicks. In December 2017, he scored 31 points and grabbed 22 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In January 2018, he recorded 20 points and 20 rebounds against the Brooklyn Nets. He finished the 2017–18 season with a career-high 32 double-doubles.
In February 2019, Kanter signed with the Portland Trail Blazers. He made his Portland debut with 18 points and nine rebounds.
In the playoffs, he recorded 20 points and 18 rebounds against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Enes Kanter Freedom Net Worth
Enes Kanter Freedom is a former professional basketball player. He has an estimated net worth of around $40 million.
Kanter played in the NBA from 2011 to 2022. During his NBA career, he played for five teams. He also played for the Turkish national basketball team.
In 2009, he helped Turkey win a bronze medal at the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. Kanter earned around $104 million in NBA salary during his career.
He is also known for his strong political activism. His political views led to the suspension of his Turkish citizenship in 2017.
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Estimated Net Worth | About $40 million |
| Main Income | Basketball |
| NBA Career | 2011–2022 |
| NBA Teams | Five teams |
| Estimated NBA Salary | About $104 million |
| National Team | Turkey |
| Other Work | Human rights activism |
Enes Kanter Freedom Early Life
Enes Kanter Freedom was born on May 20, 1992, in Zurich, Switzerland. His parents are of Kurdish and Turkish background.
His father is Mehmet Kanter. He is a doctor and professor. His mother, Gülsüm Kanter, is a nurse. Enes has three younger siblings.
One of his brothers is basketball player Kerem Kanter. Kanter grew up in Van, Turkey. He later lived in Ankara and Istanbul.
He started playing professional basketball as a teenager. At age 17, he moved to the United States to continue playing basketball.
He attended schools in Nevada, West Virginia, and California. He could not play high school basketball at two of those schools because he had already played professionally.
Later, he attended Stoneridge Preparatory School in California. He played basketball there for one season.
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | May 20, 1992 |
| Birthplace | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Parents | Mehmet and Gülsüm Kanter |
| Family Background | Kurdish and Turkish |
| Childhood | Grew up in Turkey |
| Childhood Cities | Van, Ankara and Istanbul |
| Siblings | Three younger siblings |
| Brother | Kerem Kanter |
| Moved to U.S. | Age 17 |
| High School | Stoneridge Preparatory School |
| Early Interest | Basketball |
Enes Kanter Freedom National Team Career
Enes Kanter Freedom started playing for Turkey’s youth basketball teams in 2008. He played at the 2008 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship in Italy.
He averaged 22.9 points and 16.5 rebounds per game. In 2009, he played at the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship.
He averaged 18.6 points and 16.4 rebounds per game. He helped Turkey win the bronze medal. Kanter also won the tournament’s MVP award.
In 2011, he joined Turkey’s senior national team for the first time. He played at the 2011 EuroBasket tournament.
He was the youngest player on the Turkish team. He played in eight games and averaged 9.6 points and 3.9 rebounds.
Kanter was not selected for Turkey’s EuroBasket team in 2015. He later said that his political views and connections played a role in the decision.
| Year | Career Details |
|---|---|
| 2008 | Played for Turkey’s Under-16 team |
| 2008 | Played at FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship |
| 2009 | Played at FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship |
| 2009 | Helped Turkey win a bronze medal |
| 2009 | Won tournament MVP award |
| 2011 | Joined Turkey’s senior national team |
| 2011 | Played at EuroBasket |
| 2011 | Averaged 9.6 points and 3.9 rebounds |
| 2015 | Was not selected for Turkey’s EuroBasket team |
Enes Kanter Freedom Personal Life
In 2019, Enes Kanter Freedom wrote about observing Ramadan during the NBA playoffs. He explained that fasting during the day can be difficult while playing basketball games.
Kanter learned English in college. He said he improved his English by watching SpongeBob SquarePants and Jersey Shore.
In 2020, he started following a plant-based diet. He later planned to become fully vegan. On November 29, 2021, Kanter became a U.S. citizen.
At the same time, he legally changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom.
| Details | Information |
|---|---|
| Birth Date | May 20, 1992 |
| Birthplace | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Religion/Faith | Muslim |
| Ramadan | Observed Ramadan during NBA playoffs |
| English Learning | Learned English in college |
| English Practice | Watched SpongeBob SquarePants and Jersey Shore |
| Diet | Started a plant-based diet in 2020 |
| U.S. Citizenship | Became a U.S. citizen in 2021 |
| Name Change | Changed his name to Enes Kanter Freedom in 2021 |
Enes Kanter Freedom Awards
Enes Kanter Freedom has received several important awards. In 2022, he received the Courage Award at the Geneva Summit.
He also won the Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent in 2022. In the same year, he received the 14th Lantos Human Rights Prize.
These awards recognized his work for human rights and freedom.
| Year | Award |
|---|---|
| 2022 | Courage Award at the Geneva Summit |
| 2022 | Václav Havel International Prize for Creative Dissent |
| 2022 | 14th Lantos Human Rights Prize |
| 2022 | Recognized for human rights activism |
FAQ – Enes Kanter Freedom Biography
1. Who is Enes Kanter Freedom?
Enes Kanter Freedom is an professional NBA player and human rights activist.
2. When was Enes Kanter Freedom born?
He was born on 20 May 1992.
3. What is Enes Kanter Freedom net worth?
His estimated net worth is around $40 million.
4. How many seasons did Enes Kanter Freedom play in the NBA?
He played in the NBA for 11 seasons.
5. What awards has Enes Kanter Freedom won?
He received several human rights awards in 2022.
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