Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom stood with Marsha Blackburn on the campaign trail this week and told a personal story. “Me and Marsha actually go way back,” he said in a video shared by her campaign Wednesday.
About five years ago, he said, he started speaking out against China’s human rights violations, and it cost him his NBA career. “I was playing for Boston Celtics, one of the best in the NBA, and I got kicked out,” he said. “I played 11 years in the NBA. I had hundreds of teammates. Not one of them reached out.”
Then the phone rang. “I got this call from Washington, D.C.,” Kanter Freedom said. “It was Senator Marsha’s team,” saying she had been following his journey and wanted to meet. “That gave me so much hope and motivation to fight against the Chinese Communist Party,” he said. “Marsha is not just another politician that I want to campaign with. She’s family at this point.” Blackburn posted: “I’m grateful for @EnesFreedom’s courage, support, and friendship.”
Tennesseans have one last day to vote early. More than 1,018,000 have already voted early or absentee through Tuesday, Oct. 27, according to state figures, far ahead of the same point in 2022. “I encourage every registered voter who has not yet voted to take advantage of this final day of early voting,” Secretary of State Tre Hargett said, pointing voters to GoVoteTN.gov for locations, hours and sample ballots.
Early voting ends today, Thursday, Oct. 29. Bring a valid photo ID, and if you miss it, Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
