Chicago Sky Owner Imposes Indefinite Ban on Enes Kanter Freedom

The Chicago Sky have indefinitely banned former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom from Wintrust Arena, owner Michael Alter announced on Tuesday afternoon. The decision comes two days after Kanter Freedom was ejected from the Sky game against the Indiana Fever.

Alter stated that Kanter Freedom has demonstrated a potential threat to the team and its players. He emphasized that the former NBA player will not be allowed to return to the Chicago arena unless he can prove that he can abide by the team’s rules without being a potential threat in the future.

The altercation between Kanter Freedom and Sky guard Natasha Cloud occurred in the third quarter of Sunday’s game. Kanter Freedom, who was wearing a shirt reading ‘woman noun. adult human female,’ got into a verbal altercation with Cloud and walked towards the court. The incident led to his ejection from the game.

Kanter Freedom’s actions sparked controversy, as he had recently requested to be eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft. He also attended a rally supporting Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s beliefs on barring transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports. Prior to the game, Kanter Freedom posted a photo standing outside the women’s restroom, seemingly implying that he should be able to use it if he identifies as a woman.

Alter spoke to several individuals seated next to Kanter Freedom at the game to gain a better understanding of the incident that led to his ejection. They confirmed that the dialogue between Cloud and Kanter Freedom started with Kanter, who began to ‘chirp’ with her in the third quarter. Alter characterized the interaction as ‘trash talking,’ but noted that it was basketball-related and not personal.

The Chicago Tribune reported that Kanter Freedom did not receive an invitation to the game. His ticket was purchased under a different name, and his agent texted GM Jeff Pagliocca to inform him that Kanter Freedom was attending. According to Alter, Kanter Freedom and Pagliocca had not spoken in three or four years. The outlet suggested that a third party might have gifted the tickets to Kanter Freedom, which is common for well-funded activist/agitator groups.

Alter expressed regret for not informing the players that Kanter Freedom would be attending the game. He stated that he decided against it because it felt too close to tip-off time.

Kanter Freedom plans to attend other Fever games, including every playoff game. In a recent interview with Fox News, he stated that he would be using his manager’s name to buy his postseason tickets, as he does not want to risk them getting cancelled.