Turkey Refuses To Air Trail Blazers Games Because Of Enes Kanter

BYAlexander Cole2.7K Views
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Enes Kanter
Kanter has been critical of President Tayyip Erdogan.

Enes Kanter is a player who isn't afraid to speak out on issues that mean a lot to him. Kanter is of Turkish descent and has been extremely critical of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his regime. The Trail Blazers big man has stated that Erdogan is a dictator who tortures those who oppose him from a political point of view. Because of these criticisms, Kanter has been deemed a terroristic threat to the entire country which has made it impossible for him to return. Earlier in the year, Kanter was actually worried about going to Europe out of fear of assassination

Now, it is being reported that S Sport, Turkey's NBA broadcaster, is refusing to broadcast the Western Conference Finals between the Golden State Warriors and the Portland Trail Blazers. Commentator Omer Sarac spoke to Reuters about the decision and doubled down, saying the ban will continue if the Blazers move on.

"I can say clearly that we will not be broadcasting the Warriors vs. Blazers series," Sarac said. "Furthermore, if Portland makes it to the finals, (that) will not be broadcast either. This situation is not about us, but it is what it is."

Interestingly enough, the Turkish broadcaster will be showing the series between the Toronto Raptors and the Milwaukee Bucks.


About The Author
Alexander Cole is the current editor-in-chief of HotNewHipHop. He started at HotNewHipHop back in 2018 where he began as a Sports and Sneakers writer. It was here where he began to hone his craft, putting his journalism degree from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, to good use. Since that time, he has documented some of the biggest stories in the hip-hop world. From the Kendrick Lamar and Drake beef to the disturbing allegations against Diddy, Alex has helped HotNewHipHop navigate large-scale stories as they happen. In 2021, he went to the Bahamas for the Big 3's Championship Game. It was here where he got to interview legendary figures like Ice Cube, Clyde Drexler, and Stephen Jackson. He has also interviewed other superstar athletes such as Antonio Brown, Damian Lillard, and Paul Pierce. This is in addition to conversations with social media provocateurs like Jake Paul, and younger respected artists like Kaycyy, Lil Tecca, and Jeleel!
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