Enes Kanter, or now Enes Kanter Freedom, has been one of the top stories in the NBA this year. His media prominence might is a little surprising if you only consider his impact on the court. Kanter is an 11 year veteran with a career scoring average of 11.4 points per game, averaging just 4.7 points in the current season. But the politicization of sports made Kanter or someone like him inevitable.

Of course, Kanter’s prominence is due to his outspoken advocacy related to Chinese human rights abuses and his confrontations with LeBron James. Kanter is challenging the nation being advanced as the USA’s gravest threat and feuding with the league’s biggest star. He offers a perfect narrative for the world of 2021.

In this episode, Emory Marketing Professor breaks down why he believes Enes Kanter is the most influential athlete in sports today. Lewis and his co-host Doug Battle look back on a few stories from 2021 before looking ahead to the new year.

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