Boston.com · Oct 21, 2021
Celtics games are pulled in China after Enes Kanter’s pro-Tibet posts
Boston Celtics' Enes Kanter attempts a shot during an NBA preseason game Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021, in Orlando. John Raoux / AP, File Boston Celtics games were abruptly pulled from the Chinese internet Thursday after a center on the team, Enes Kanter, said on social media that the country’s leader, Xi Jinping, was a “brutal dictator,” citing his government’s repressive policies in Tibet.
The incident could spell fresh trouble for the NBA in China. The league has millions of devoted fans there but has also just spent two years mending its image in the country after a Houston Rockets executive tweeted support in 2019 for pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong.