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Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom has launched a second career in recent weeks.
Perhaps in an attempt to make a name for himself as a conservative pundit, Kanter Freedom has been fighting against the inclusion of trans athletes in professional sports leagues.
Of course, his frequent public stunts have many wondering if he’s more interested in chasing clout than he is in making his point.
Kanter Freedom was ejected from the Chicago Sky’s game against the Indiana Fever after a heated confrontation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud during the third quarter.
With the obvious goal of attracting attention, he was sitting courtside at Wintrust Arena wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with the message, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.”
The situation escalated with 1:22 remaining in the third quarter, shortly after Cloud scored for Chicago.
According to ESPN, Cloud turned toward Kanter Freedom and began yelling and pointing at him as she approached his courtside seat.
Kanter Freedom stood up, spread his arms, and took a step toward the court before security personnel and several Sky players intervened.
He was subsequently escorted from the arena. And he didn’t exactly go quietly.
As security removed him, Kanter Freedom pumped his fist and appeared to mock Cloud by imitating her talking with his hand. He eventually held out his shirt as he made his way toward the lobby.
The incident comes amid an increasingly heated debate surrounding transgender athletes and women’s sports.
Kanter Freedom, who played 11 seasons in the NBA, recently declared himself eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft while saying he identifies as a woman. Former NBA player Royce White has also made a similar declaration.
The controversy began after Fever guard Sophie Cunningham made comments about transgender athletes that sparked a national debate.
Kanter Freedom has subsequently used his social media platforms to criticize the WNBA’s policies regarding transgender players. His recent stunts happen to coincide with the release of his new memoir.
The league’s current collective bargaining agreement states that “only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA,” but does not further define the term or publicly outline eligibility rules for transgender or intersex athletes.
After his removal Sunday, Kanter Freedom claimed on X that he had been kicked out of the game for supporting women.
Cloud’s version of events was not publicly detailed, but Sky coach Tyler Marsh made it clear that he supported his player.
“I told her she wasn’t,” Marsh said when asked whether Cloud was concerned about becoming a distraction. “I told her that we all embrace her as someone that protects our team and protects people that need to be protected and so Tash is always going to stand on that, and we stand for Tash.”
On the court, Indiana rolled to a 113-90 victory behind 37 points from Caitlin Clark and 30 from Kelsey Mitchell. Clark said she didn’t witness the confrontation because she and her teammates were focused on their huddle at the time.
“I didn’t see it, we were talking about the next play in our huddle,” Clark said. “So I think that’s probably a question for Chicago.”
For Kanter Freedom, however, the game became less about basketball and more about the ongoing culture-war battle that he has inserted himself into.
And judging by Sunday’s spectacle, that battle isn’t going away anytime soon.
Enes Kanter Freedom Ejected From WNBA Game For Transphobic Tirade was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.
The Hollywood Gossip
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