LOS ANGELES -- Enes Kanter will not travel to London when the New York Knicks play the Washington Wizards on Jan. 17, saying he fears for his life because of his ongoing clash with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Kanter, a native of Turkey, has been an outspoken critic of the Turkish government and Erdogan. A Knicks' team official said Kanter won't travel because of a visa issue, but Kanter said he did not feel safe making the trip.
"Sadly, I'm not going because of that freaking lunatic, the Turkish president," Kanter said after the Knicks' 119-112 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.