Enes Kanter Freedom takes Chicago Sky removal dispute to federal court

Kanter Freedom says he was peacefully expressing himself when security escorted him out of a WNBA game.

Enes Kanter Freedom is taking his removal from a Chicago Sky game to federal court.

ESPN reported that the former NBA player filed a 15-page complaint Thursday in the Northern District of Illinois, naming the Sky, the city of Chicago and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns and operates Wintrust Arena. He alleges his First Amendment rights were violated when he was escorted out of an Aug. 23 game against the Indiana Fever and subsequently barred from returning.

The incident unfolded late in the third quarter. Kanter Freedom was seated courtside wearing a shirt bearing a definition of the word “woman.” During a timeout, Sky guard Natasha Cloud approached and shouted in his direction. He stood with his arms outstretched and moved several steps toward the floor before security intervened and removed him.

Announcing the suit on social media, Kanter Freedom framed his conduct as peaceful expression, writing that there were “no threats, no violence” and that he would not be silenced or intimidated.

Sky owner Michael Alter offered a markedly different reading when the ban was announced. He said Kanter Freedom had been attempting to provoke Cloud, a vocal supporter of LGBTQ+ rights, and told reporters the former player “demonstrated to us, unequivocally, that he has the potential to be a threat.” Alter said the ban would remain until Kanter Freedom could prove otherwise.

Alter also rejected the argument that not crossing the baseline mattered. He noted that Kanter Freedom didn’t cross it because security stopped him, and that staff aren’t expected to wait for a situation to escalate before acting. “He started walking. They didn’t wait to see how far he was going to walk,” Alter said, per ESPN.

The Sky owner maintained he supports free expression, while adding that fans purchasing tickets agree to abide by league and team conduct rules.

Cloud, for her part, has publicly dismissed the episode, calling Kanter Freedom irrelevant in comments to ESPN.