Enes Kanter has become a beloved member of the NBA fraternity, symbolizing resistance against oppression and emphasizing the importance of harmonious relationships in every city he plays in.
Actually, that message extends far past places that he’s frequented, as Kanter has spent the summer hosting basketball camps around the country, hoping to inspire the youth in various communities with his altruism and philosophies on life.
It shouldn’t be surprising then, that on the day Kanter was set to host yet another free basketball camp — this time in Milford, CT. — he would receive the key to the city from Mayor Benjamin G. Blake.
For those who want to know more about what receiving the key to a city actually symbolizes, here’s an excerpt from Brown University’s Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology:
This medieval tradition is meant to confer trust and honor; it grows from the medieval walled city whose gates were guarded during the day and locked at night. The key symbolizes the freedom of the recipient to enter and leave the city at will, as a trusted friend of city residents. The actual ‘Key to the City’ would function to open the city gates. In modern times, an ornamental (non-functional) key is presented to esteemed visitors, residents, or others the city wishes to honor. This award is also known as Freedom of the City; in this way the ability to access ‘everything’ is seen as the ultimate act of esteem.
In sum, Kanter has been honored as an esteemed visitor.
That’s quite the honor for the 27-year-old.
