Ex-Celtics player Enes Freedom rejoices at TikTok shutdown: "Chinese communist surveillance has just been banned"

Former NBA center Enes Freedom has made his feelings known on the ruling to ban TikTok in the United States. While many of the social media platform's users are likely unhappy with this decision, Freedom was on the other side of things. In fact, he seemed jubilant that it had finally been banned.

According to a timeline posted on the Associated Press News website, President Donald Trump had already considered banning TikTok in 2020. However, when Joe Biden was elected, the legal case regarding its ban was paused. In March 2024, a bill was upheld stating TikTok's parent company had to sell the platform to an American buyer, lest it be banned. The ban finally took place on Saturday.

The lengthy process to ban the social media platform was something that Freedom echoed in his celebratory post.

"WE DID IT AMERICA!" Freedom wrote. "It has been a couple of years since we've been trying to get TikTok banned, and finally, Chinese Communist surveillance vehicle has just been BANNED! "

Afterward, Freedom claimed that the app was being used by China to "manipulate" and "brainwash" the American youth. He concluded by calling on the continent of Europe to follow suit in banning TikTok.

Enes Freedom, a center from Turkey, was initially named Enes Kanter. He officially changed his last name to Freedom in 2021 after becoming a citizen of the United States.

Freedom was drafted third overall by the Utah Jazz in 2011. After three and a half seasons in Utah, he was traded to the OKC Thunder. Before the 2017-18 season, the Thunder sent him to the New York Knicks as a part of the trade package to acquire Carmelo Anthony.

In February 2019, the Knicks waived him but he found himself back on a team just a few days later after being signed by the Portland Trail Blazers.

In the summer of 2019, he signed with the Boston Celtics as a free agent. He played 58 games for them during the 2019-20 season. He returned to Portland in November 2020 as part of a three-team deal. However, he would once again find himself back in a Celtics jersey in the 2021-22 season.

That was the last time he played in the NBA. Enes Freedom is only 32 years old.

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Enes Freedom was once banned from TikTok but his account was later reinstated

Enes Freedom is an activist who has been outspoken against China in the past. Freedom uses his social media accounts to call out the Chinese government as a part of his activism. Among the things he's said or done is calling Chinese President Xi Jinping a dictator as well as speaking up for Tibet.

According to an article in the Washington Post, Freedom was banned from TikTok for 12 days in March 2023. He was later reinstated with the social media platform's representatives claiming that it was an error made by a moderator.

However, the company reportedly did not specify what the error was or which rules the former Boston Celtics center violated on his account.