Fans in Turkey Kant watch Enes dominate

Enes Kanter enjoyed another strong game for the victorious Knicks on Friday night, not that anyone in his home country could watch it. Kanter, who had 16 points and 15 rebounds in the Knicks’ 120-107 win over Phoenix, claimed that his new NBA team is the only one whose games are not aired in his native Turkey, just as was the case when he played last year for Oklahoma City.

“Yes. Last year they were showing all 29 (teams) in Turkey, but no OKC games because of all the politics, they were going crazy,” Kanter said. “So now, they are showing other games, but no Knicks. Just because the president is crazy. It’s that crazy, bro.”

Earlier this year, the Turkish government issued a warrant for Kanter’s arrest, and on May 20 he was detained by airport officials in Romania after his passport was revoked. He was permitted to come back to the U.S. two days later, but his father also was held in Turkey because, as Kanter has said previously, “of my criticism of the ruling party.”

“This is just one thing. I just want to let the whole world know how crazy things are right now. It’s an NBA game, man. Just let the people watch. Are you crazy? That’s nuts,” said Kanter, who hopes to become a U.S. citizen. “People know, you don’t have to say that. The whole of Turkey knows. And you cannot complain. If you complain, police will come to your house the next day.”