Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom has drawn sharp criticism after his confrontation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud. Stephen A Smith backed Kanter’s broader argument about WNBA eligibility rules but called his conduct at the game “classless” and “excessive.”
Kanter attended Sunday’s Indiana Fever-Sky game wearing a shirt reading, “WOMAN. Noun. Adult human female.” The former NBA player has also declared his intention to enter the 2027 WNBA Draft as part of his protest against the league’s eligibility rules.
The situation escalated during the third quarter after Cloud scored and turned toward Kanter. Kanter stood up and stepped toward the court before security intervened and escorted him from Wintrust Arena.
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Smith thinks Kanter had a legitimate policy argument but chose the wrong target.
“What Enes Kanter did, although he had every right to do it, and although it’s clearly to bring attention to the unfairness of not specifically defining what a woman is in [WNBA’s] collective bargaining agreement,” Smith said on his YouTube show.
“As a result, somebody who is transgender can wake up and say, ‘I’m a female, and I want to participate in the WNBA according to the language of the law. You could actually get away with it, and that needs to be clarified.”
Stephen A Smith says Kanter targeted the wrong peopleChicago, Illinois, USA; Turkish-American former basketball player and human rights activist Enes Kanter Freedom is seen prior to a game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)Smith argued that Kanter should direct his criticism toward league officials and the collective bargaining agreement.
“Enes Kanter was very wrong,” Smith said. “It was a classless thing for him to do. Because the ladies that are playing don’t have anything to do with this. The league does. It’s the collective bargaining agreement …but the actual ladies that are involved have nothing to do with this.
“They don’t deserve to be agitated the way he was clearly willing to do at the game. It wasn’t just about him standing. He was just about to step to her. You got no business doing that. That was excessive.”
The distinction matters because players already operate under intense pressure during games. Bringing a political dispute directly toward athletes can distract from preparation, team roles and competitive performance. Most certainly, it takes away the spotlight from the actual game.
“Enes Kanter… went too far by showing up in attendance with that shirt on,” Smith said. “Show some class, bro. That’s not the ladies that’s doing this.
“Enes Kanter was wrong for being in attendance for that game and being antagonistic to those ladies. They don’t deserve that.”
Smith also said Kanter’s message should not be dismissed simply because of his behavior.
“There’s other ways he could have made his message felt,” Smith said. “But he’s not wrong for illustrating that men don’t need to be competing in women’s sports.”
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That balance may define the next stage of this controversy. The WNBA has already ruled Kanter and Royce White ineligible for the 2027 draft, while Kanter continues using the dispute to draw attention.
The priority right now should remain on basketball for Chicago, Indiana, and even the league, as the playoffs near. However, the league should also address the issue in the background.
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