*Former NBA player and documented LeBron James hater, Enes Kanter Freedom is taking aim at James calling the Philadelphia 76ers superstar the “dictator of the NBA” while claiming numerous players secretly support President Donald Trump.
The former Boston Celtics center made the allegations during an interview with OutKick, arguing that conservative NBA players fear being ostracized if they publicly express their political beliefs.
Freedom also backed Trump’s criticism of James following a national anthem controversy that erupted during Philadelphia’s season opener against the New York Knicks.
According to Freedom, James has played a major role in shaping what he describes as the league’s politically progressive culture.
But there’s one rather important detail missing from his accusations: Freedom hasn’t identified the supposedly numerous players who privately agree with him.
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Enes Kanter Calls LeBron James the NBA’s Dictator
During the October 23 OutKick interview, Freedom criticized James for appearing to practice golf and basketball shooting motions while the national anthem played before Philadelphia’s October 20 game against James’ former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
President Trump subsequently called James a “TOTAL DISGRACE” and demanded an apology to American military heroes.
Freedom sided with the president.
“I call him the dictator of the NBA. And I think President Trump said the best. You know, he disrespects our country and disrespects our flag,” Freedom said.
He also predicted a political shift within professional basketball once James retires.
“LeBron James is the reason the NBA is woke still. I promise you, once he retires, NBA is not going to be as woke as now,” Freedom declared.
Freedom offered no evidence establishing that James controls the political views of other players or that his retirement would change the league’s culture.
Are NBA Players Secretly Supporting Trump?
Freedom also claimed that many players privately support conservative causes, the Republican Party and Trump but remain silent to avoid criticism.
“They’re just hiding it,” he said, arguing that players risk being “canceled” for expressing those views.
He described an experience during his final NBA season when teammates allegedly praised him after a CNN appearance but treated him differently after he appeared on Fox News.
“In NBA circles, we don’t talk about Fox News, we don’t watch Fox News,” Freedom claimed.
He also recounted a conversation in which former teammate Dennis Schröder allegedly questioned James’ motivations for his public activism. Schröder’s purported remarks were presented solely through Freedom’s account.
Freedom’s comments come amid his separate dispute with the WNBA over player eligibility rules and an incident involving his attempted attendance at Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.
The controversy also follows Trump’s latest criticism of James, which Edmond W. Davis examines in his EURweb commentary, “Trump Wants an Apology from LeBron? America Deserves One from Its President!”
Speaking after the game, a comeback win over the Cavaliers, James was asked about Trump. His reaction was a quick chuckle, then this quickie: “Must have been a slow news day at the office. Slow news day at the office.“
LeBron James responds to Donald Trump taking shots at him with a BRUTAL one liner: “Slow news day at the office, you know.” https://t.co/Y4Qa0lHD6a
— Deuce World🌃 (@deuceworldx) October 23, 2026
For now, Freedom’s claims about widespread secret support for Trump remain just that: claims from one former player, without names or independent confirmation.
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