Enes Kanter Freedom isn’t slowing down. After announcing his stunning bid for the WNBA Draftthe former NBA center has taken his provocation a step further by bringing up a huge name: Caitlin Clark.
Appearing on Bruce Pearl’s podcast, Freedom explained without much hesitation what he would theoretically like to do if he made it to the WNBA: play alongside the star of the Indiana Fever.
I think I could do a good job. I’m fired up, it would be fun. Especially if I got drafted by a team like Indiana. They could definitely use a big
Enes Kanter Freedom
Pearl, however, couldn’t resist teasing him, pointing out that with Clark on the floor, assists might be hard to come by:
But Caitlin isn’t going to pass you the ball. She shoots that ball now
Enes Kanter Freedom
A joking way of pointing out how the Fever point guard has increasingly become a scorer rather than a passer.
Freedom, however, didn’t flinch and took things even further, invoking one of the most legendary duos in NBA history:
Listen, Caitlin and I would be the modern-day Kobe and Shaq. I’m telling you
Enes Kanter Freedom
The Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal comparison
The reference, of course, is to the two cornerstones of the Los Angeles Lakers dynasty at the turn of the millennium, who won three consecutive championships from 2000 through 2002. It’s a massive comparison, delivered with the trademark biting humor that has defined Kanter Freedom’s public statements.
And he wasn’t done there: the former NBA player also imagined the perfect play with Clark:
I’m thinking about this situation: we’re going to the basket, Caitlin throws up an alley-oop, I catch it and dunk it. Then Caitlin and I bump shoulders to celebrate, which I can do because now I’m a woman
Enes Kanter Freedom
A provocation that goes beyond basketball
That final joke reveals the real meaning behind the entire campaign. The former Knicks player’s bid for the WNBA Draft has nothing to do with an actual return to competitive basketball: it is a way to shine a spotlight on the debate surrounding eligibility criteria and gender identity within the women’s league.
It’s not an isolated case, either: another former NBA player, Royce Whitelaunched a similar initiative in recent weeks, further fueling a discussion that is increasingly involving players, league figures and media outlets connected to the basketball world.
The WNBA has thus found itself at the center of a much broader debate that extends well beyond the basketball court. And Kanter Freedom, between over-the-top statements and carefully planned provocations, appears anything but ready to back down.