Most head coaches in the NBA probably would like to have the absence of the sort of distraction that Daryl Morey’s tweet about Hong Kong caused when his Twitter activism sparked a massive firestorm for the Houston Rockets, the team he was the general manager of at the time.
And for Boston Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, it might indeed be a little easier for him if outspoken big man Enes Kanter was not going after China politically on Twitter himself, but the ecosystem within the NBA for voicing criticism against the Chinese government has much firmer footing now than it did then, even with the Celtics effectively banned in China from being broadcaster as a result of Kanter’s online protests.
The Turkish center has received support in high-profile corners and from his own team in contrast to the kerfuffle that followed Morey, with Udoka picking up his player’s back when asked about the situation after practice Monday.
The outspoken Celtic is unrelenting in his activism. https://t.co/GtCQMeI3Gg
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) November 15, 2021