It's the Milwaukee Bucks. Unless they give you good, good money, then go, but you don't leave New York for Milwaukee.
I understand my mother and father and sister are in Turkey, but if I stop talking, who is going to speak for the thousands and thousands of innocent people in jail?
I want to stay with the Knicks. They have great fans, team, organization, people. I would love to stay here.
I've been to playoffs before. That should be everybody's goal is the playoffs.
If you win in New York, you’re the king of the world.
The players, when we get in the locker room, we talk about what’s going on. And the players always see how the management or how ownership treat other players, treat other players around.
My job is to go out there and play as hard as I can. Because the fans are paying so much money to come and see the game.
But I am a basketball player going out there to compete, I am going to try to win no matter what. That is just in my blood.
Constant pressure by Turkish consulates across the United States, as well as pervasive and continual harassment by the government in Turkey, has so far failed to stifle my dissent. As they increase the pressure, I raise my voice.
Professional athletes have an enormous opportunity to be a source of inspiration for the younger generation, lead by example, and prove to them that as long as you stand up for what you believe in, everything is possible.
I have a prominent platform and I want to use it to promote respect for human rights, democracy, and personal freedom. For me, this is bigger than basketball.
My friends and family in Turkey could be arrested just for talking to me.
Some of my teammates and coaches don’t understand what I’m doing by speaking out, but they support me, for which I am grateful. They have become part of my surrogate family here in the United States.
Over the years, I’ve become accustomed to the quiet of that morning meal, a time when I devote myself completely to my faith.
Basketball to me is more than a passion or a paycheck - it is the tool I use to try to have an impact in the world.
Because I play in the NBA, I am lucky enough to have a public platform, so I’ve used every opportunity to make sure everyone knows about Erdogan’s cruelty and disdain for human rights.
