Boston, Massachusetts - Outspoken NBA player Enes Kanter will become a US citizen and change his name to "Enes Kanter Freedom."

The news that the Celtics center would change his last name to Freedom and make Kanter his middle name was originally reported by The Athletic.

A court approved the name change and the US citizenship will take effect from Monday afternoon, Kanter's agent said.

The 29-year-old player, who has been sharply critical of the Turkish government, was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents. His Turkish passport was revoked in May 2017 while he was in Europe, making him stateless.

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Kanter is a staunch supporter of Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic preacher who lives in exile in the US.

Gulen, a one-time supporter of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, is blamed for masterminding an attempted coup in Turkey in July 2016, a charge he denied. His movement is considered a terrorist organization in Turkey.

Kanter has also sparked a backlash in China by expressing support for the Free Tibet movement and calling Chinese leader Xi Jinping a "brutal dictator."