Enes Kanter will be able to spend the holidays with his team.
Kanter, who had his Turkish passport revoked in 2017 preventing him from traveling outside of the United States, announced Monday in a post on The Globe And Mail he will join the Boston Celtics when they travel to Toronto to take on the Raptors on Christmas Day.
“I want to thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government, U.S. and Canadian law enforcement, U.S. Senator Ed Markey, the Celtics, the NBA and my managers for working diligently to make my Christmas game against the Raptors possible and ensuring my safety there,” Kanter wrote. “And, on Christmas night, I will play in my first game as a Celtic outside the U.S. when I take the court against the Raptors.”
The center didn’t travel to Toronto last season as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers due to concerns the Turkish government would retaliate if he left the country due to his outspoken views.
Kanter celebrated once he learned of the news with a simple tweet.
I’m Free ??
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) December 23, 2019
Tip-off from Scotiabank Arena is set for 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday.
