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George W. Bush Congratulates Enes Kanter Freedom On Becoming An American Citizen, Embracing ‘The Founding Ideals’

Enes Kanter Freedom

(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

Andrew Jose Contributor
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Former president George W. Bush congratulated Boston Celtics player Enes Kanter Freedom for becoming a U.S. citizen.

“Congratulations on becoming a United States citizen,” Bush wrote in the letter, dated Dec. 6. “I appreciate your commitment to the founding ideals of Our Nation.”

“America is a great land of freedom and opportunity. We are blessed by the diversity of our citizens, and I encourage you to embrace this chance to add to our country’s proud heritage. Laura and I send our best wishes. May God bless you, and may God bless America,” Bush’s letter stated.

Freedom had shared a picture of the letter in a post on Twitter. Freedom formally became a U.S. citizen on Nov. 29. The Swiss born athlete of Turkish origin commemorated the event by changing his legal name from “Enes Kanter” to “Enes Kanter Freedom” ahead of becoming American.

“I am proud to be an American. Greatest nation in the world. The Land of the free, and home of the brave,” He tweeted out to his followers Nov. 30, sharing the video of his citizenship oath ceremony. 

The NBA player has been a vocal about the freedoms and human rights of Uyghurs, people in Hong Kong and Tibetans.

The Chinese Communist Party went so far as ban streaming of Boston Celtics games after he put out a video in October condemning the CCP for its treatment of Uyghurs. (RELATED: Biden Signs Uyghur Slave Labor Bill Lobbied Against By Apple, Nike)

The athlete has also openly criticized fellow basketball player LeBron James for allegedly prioritizing “money over morals” in dealing with the CCP, and American companies “for turning a blind eye toward human rights abuses in China.”

He told “The Megyn Kelly Show” podcast host Megyn Kelly in the show’s Dec. 6 episode that he is considering a political career.