Turkey's Prez Still Pissed at Kanter; Continues Blazers Blackout

Now, this is the ultimate in spoilsports.

Back in 1923, national military hero Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became the namesake of the republic he founded, replacing the Ottoman Empire and bringing that region into modern times, aligning it with Western values as opposed to those of the Middle Eastern emirates.

In short, Atatürk was the sorta dude's dude who'd never be faced with this option about sports:

 

Basketball is second only to soccer in Turkey. It's a passion-level sport that fills arenas for its domestic league not to mention bars and restaurants for NBA game broadcasts.

It's clear President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is well aware of this. Two years ago, he appointed NBA vet Hedo Turkoglu as one of his senior advisors.

So he knew the statement he was making when he ordered the Portland Trail Blazers off his nation's airwaves because Enes Kanter's on their roster. It's an irritation that goes back years, as this 2017 report indicates:

 

Granted, the Blazers don't figure to be in the playoffs much longer now that they're paired with the Golden State Warriors in the Western finals. But it's the thought that counts.

With the politically motivated terrorist tag looming over him, life's not that easy for the dude these days. Turkey has its crazies, too, and they're good for 3-4 death threats a week against him.

As every democratic country unfortunately knows, that's what self-centered leaders can do to a citizen when they make self-serving declarations.

 

Putting it mildly, Erdoğan's a piece of work.

His party just lost Istanbul's mayoral election, so with no substantiation whatsoever, he ordered a re-run:

 

If politicians are to get involved in sports, let Russia's strongman and prototypical James Bond villain Vladimir Putin demonstrate how it should be done:

 

 

Especially after he scored eight goals that had a hint of gulag life if any defender stopped him.

Who knows? Maybe Erdoğan will be inspired to get on the court after he orders his team's basket to be lowered by four feet.

Meanwhile, he's got Kanter for a distraction whenever the urge to have blind nationalism trump protest strikes his fancy.