Enes Kanter Freedom Says Teaming with Caitlin Clark Would Be Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant 2.0

Enes Kanter Freedom appeared on the America First Policy Institute show to talk about his interest to play in the WNBA.

Enes Kanter Freedom Says Teaming with Caitlin Clark Would Be Shaquille O’Neal-Kobe Bryant 2.0

Enes Kanter Freedom & Caitlin Clark (Image via Polymarket/Bet 105/X)

The WNBA’s eligibility rules have become the center of a storm when former NBA players Enes Kanter Freedom and Royce White stated their desire to play in the WNBA.

They believe that since the league has no clearly defined distinction on what it entails to be a woman who can play, simply stating that they are women is enough to get an entry into the upcoming 2027 Draft.

Kanter Freedom took the next step by sending his declaration of interest to be added to the player pool for that draft, which has further complicated this discourse.

This forced the league to assemble a task force that will clarify who can play for the league. But since there is no clear indication yet, the former Oklahoma City Thunder center believes he has a good chance to play alongside the likes of Caitlin Clark.

I think I can do a pretty good job… Me and Caitlin will be modern Kobe and Shaq… Think about this scenario, right: we’re going down the lane, Caitlin just throwing a lob, I caught the lob, and I’m just dunking the ball. Then me and Caitlin just bumping chests with each other, which I’m allowed to do because I’m now a woman.

Enes Kanter Freedom said

When he first suggested that he would like to be drafted by the Indiana Fever, Bruce Pearl, who was hosting this interview for the America First Policy Institute, wondered why Caitlin Clark would throw him the ball.

But Enes Kanter Freedom believes that he and the three-time All-Star will be as unstoppable as one of the NBA’s greatest duos, Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. Of course, this was all in sarcasm, considering the 34-year-old is only pushing the buttons to get the WNBA to change its eligibility criteria.

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Enes Kanter Freedom details what pushed him to declare for the WNBA draft

Apart from this sarcastic dream of throwing down dunks off lobs from Caitlin Clark, host Bruce Pearl asked Enes Kanter Freedom what led him to make this decision to declare his interest in playing in the WNBA.

I was watching the post-game interviews, and one of the players came out and literally said, ‘I welcome trans athletes in my team’… She even said, ‘There’s no problem with me going against a trans athlete.’ That gave me an idea. If they don’t have a problem with it, why not just go out there and take my shot?

Kanter Freedom replued

The interview he is talking about is when a clip surfaced on social media of Golden State Valkyries star Gabby Williams, who stated that she would have no problem having a trans athlete on her team.

This clip went viral, leading many to believe that it was a recent admission. However, the interview dates back to May 19th, when Them, an LGBTQ+ digital publication, asked her some questions.

However, the parody account Brickcenter uploading the clip, ended up catching Enes Kanter Freedom’s attention. That led him to declare his interest in the upcoming draft.

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Enes Kanter Freedom reiterates his purpose for this entire eligibility discourse

While this entire discourse has brought a negative spotlight on the WNBA, Enes Kanter Freedom reiterated during this interview that his purpose is for the greater good.

Lynx HC Cheryl Reeve with her controversial T-Shirt
Lynx HC Cheryl Reeve with her controversial T-Shirt (Image via N8actual/X)

As I’ve said this before. I’m not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any group or personal decisions. What I’m doing is bigger than getting clicks and attention. I don’t want this whole thing to turn into a laughing stock. I want people to take our message seriously.

Enes Kanter Freedom said

The Turkish-American does not want this to become a source of embarrassment, but also hopes that the league and its players take this eligibility controversy seriously. As others have suggested, the WNBA can fix this by just copying the rules FIBA, the IOC, and even Team USA have in place. But until they do, this will likely continue.

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