Chinese-American freestyle skier Eileen Gu has been a hot topic during the 2026 Winter Olympics for her controversial decision to represent a nation other than the United States.
However, that choice has rubbed a former NBA star the wrong way, and he’s getting very vocal about it. Enes Kanter Freedom spent nearly a decade in the NBA after coming to America from his native Turkey.
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Turkey’s volatile government forced Kanter to flee the country back in 2013. The former basketball player has resorted to taking shots at Eileen Gu for not representing America at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
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Kanter is a naturalized American, but clearly disagrees with Gu’s decision to wear China across her skiing gear in Milan-Cortina. The former NBA player of 11 years has even bashed Gu as being a ‘traitor’ to the U.S. based on her Olympics choice.
“I’m just going to say it … she’s a traitor,” Freedom said on Fox News’ “Ingraham Angle” (h/t NY Post). “She was born in America. “[Gu] was raised in America, lives in America, and chooses to compete against her own country for, literally, the worst human rights abuser on the planet, China…”
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Gu has become one of the top stars at the Winter Olympics and X Games throughout the years. The 23 year old managed to become the first female athlete to complete a forward double cork 1440 in 2021.
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Silver medalist Ailing Eileen Gu during the medal ceremony for the women’s big air final during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Meanwhile, Eileen Gu is receiving public scrutiny from other Americans for not speaking up on Chinese human rights violations. She even moved back from China to attend Stanford University after being born in the U.S.
During the Winter Olympics, Gu has won two silver medals thus far. This comes after she captured two golds and a silver back in 2022 at the Beijing Games.
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