Going forward, “Freedom” would be Cantor’s last name, and Cantor would be his middle name. Cantor told CNN that his new surname came from what his teammates called him.
The news was first reported by Athletic and Stadium NBA Insider Shams Charania,
Earlier this week, Kanter, who grew up in Turkey, told Fox News that he had passed his citizenship test and would be sworn in as a US citizen at the end of the month.
In recent months, the 11-year-old NBA legend has used social media and specially designed clothing during NBA games to raise awareness and Criticize China’s treatment of the Uighur community, The US State Department estimates that at least two million Uighurs and other ethnic minorities have been held in detention camps in China’s Xinjiang province since 2017. China has repeatedly denied allegations of human rights abuses in the country.
Kanter has also sought to bring awareness to China’s dealings with Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and has recently called for a boycott of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympic Games in protest.
Kanter’s comments prompted a reaction in ChinaCeltics Games is being pulled down by Chinese video streaming site Tencent and the government is criticizing Kantor’s comments.
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