Enes Kanter Freedom has been banned from the Chicago Sky's Wintrust Arena after a courtside altercation with Natasha Cloud during the Sky's game against the Indiana Fever at the weekend, team owner Michael Alter said.
The former NBA center, who now goes by Enes Kanter Freedom, is trying to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft by taking advantage of the league's eligibility rules. He attended the game wearing a t-shirt bearing a definition of the word "woman," with the words "woman" and "female" highlighted in red: "Woman. Noun. Adult human female."
Cloud stormed over to Kanter Freedom as an argument broke out between the two, and a viral clip showed the pair shouting at each other while he stood up and spread his arms, with security holding Cloud back. He was ejected from the arena.
Alter said Kanter Freedom would not be allowed back unless he could prove himself able to follow the Sky's rules. 'He has demonstrated to us, unequivocally, that he has the potential to be a threat,' Alter said, via ESPN.
He added that the only way Kanter Freedom will ever be permitted to return is if 'sometime in the future, he's able to prove to us that he's able to abide by our rules without being a potential threat.'
Owner Details How the Incident Unfolded
Alter met with reporters to address the situation, revealing he learned on the day of the game that Kanter Freedom would be attending via a text from his agent to Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca. Alter said he was unaware of where Kanter Freedom would be seated, and admitted his 'one regret' was deciding not to inform his players before the game.
'It was pretty clear to us that his purpose of coming here was trying to be provocative and just see how much attention he could get,' Alter said.
Alter alleged that Kanter Freedom started the exchange with Cloud, saying he had spoken to multiple eyewitnesses. 'They each confirmed that the dialogue between Cloud and Kanter started with Kanter,' he said.
'He began to chirp with her sometime in the third quarter. I would characterize it as trash talking, nothing personal. Basketball-related, but enough to get her attention and to engage her, and in my opinion, to try to provoke her,' Alter said.
'He portrays as this victimless person who did nothing, said nothing. Just wearing a t-shirt.. We have five different security authorities that all agreed very quickly to throw him out because he made himself into a threat.'
League Has Called Draft Bid a 'Publicity Stunt'
Kanter Freedom's attempt to enter the WNBA Draft has thrust him into the wider debate over transgender athletes. A league source said, per Front Office Sports, that the WNBA is 'not going to give oxygen to efforts designed to mock the league or use this topic to demean and marginalize others,' calling the bid a 'publicity stunt.'
Kanter Freedom sat down with Fox News on Monday afternoon and responded to reports that the WNBA had ruled him ineligible for the draft. 'Listen, Article 13 Section 1 says if you identify as a woman, then you are allowed to play! I identify as a woman, so yes, I can play,' he said.
'They're terrified because I might actually get drafted and play against their big men. I'm probably going to drop 60 points... I'm going to try to beat Wilt Chamberlain's record. I might go over 100 points for sure.'
Chamberlain scored 100 points in a single game for the Philadelphia Warriors against the New York Knicks in 1962, a record that still stands in the NBA.
