Former Knicks Center Calls LeBron James 'Dictator' of NBA

Enes Kanter Freedom played with the New York Knicks from 2017-19 and hasn't been quiet in his criticism of the league.

Jeremy Brener | Jul 14, 2024

Jan 25, 2019; Brooklyn, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Enes Kanter (00) reacts as fans chant \"we want Kanter\" during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

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It's been two years since Enes Kanter Freedom stepped on an NBA court, but the former New York Knicks center is still making headlines.

In a recent interview on Outkick's Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich, Freedom wasn't quiet about his criticism of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

"Obviously, he runs the media, and he tries to control this narrative, but when you actually know and have a conversation inside of the NBA and its players, nobody wants to play with him," Freedom said. "When I see a dictator, I know it – LeBron is literally like the dictator of the NBA. He controls the media, he controls his narrative, if you go against his agenda, you get traded, everybody knows it."

The words come just weeks after LeBron's son, Bronny, was selected with the No. 55 pick in the NBA Draft by the Lakers, becoming the first father-child pair to play together in the NBA. Freedom believes that Bronny isn't talented enough to play in the NBA.

"He might be a good dude, but he’s not good enough to play in the NBA. The reason he got drafted is because of LeBron," Freedom said.

Freedom also said that new Lakers coach JJ Redick was only hired because of LeBron, who he started the Mind The Game podcast earlier this year.

This isn't the first time the former Knicks center has called out LeBron in an open forum. In 2021, Freedom called out the Lakers forward for his relationship with Nike, who had come under fire for forced labor laws in China. Then, in early 2023, he was interviewed by journalist John Stossel, where he once again criticized LeBron's ties to China.

Freedom has spent most of his time as a celebrity using his platform to speak out against China and some of the harsh laws in the country, and that has soured him on LeBron and his role that he plays in the league. However, calling LeBron a "dictator" could very well be his harshest criticism of the league's all-time leading scorer to date.

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Published Jul 14, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.