Enes Kanter: "Caitlin Clark and I will be the modern Kobe and Shaq"
The former NBA star continues his campaign to join the WNBA. Conservative commentators attack the league for opposing it: "It's a disaster, there is a historic opportunity to attract an audience."
Enes Kanter gave a glimpse into his decision to apply for the WNBA draft, and is already imagining what his career in the league would look like if the Indiana Fever decided to pick him.
In an interview held Friday with the America First Policy Institute, Kanter addressed his claim that he is eligible to be selected in the 2027 WNBA draft, and presented an ambitious vision: a collaboration with Caitlin Clark and turning their duo into a modern version of one of the greatest duos in NBA history.
"I'm really excited. It's going to be fun, especially if I get picked by maybe Indiana. Me and Caitlin will be the modern Kobe and Shaq," Kanter said. "Think about this scenario: we're running down the court, Caitlin throws me a lob, I cut to the lob and dunk the ball. And then me and Caitlin do a chest bump, which I'm allowed to do because now I'm a woman."
Kanter's vision is based on his belief that he meets the current WNBA criteria. According to him, he and his team "carefully checked the WNBA eligibility criteria and the framework governing self-identification and inclusion."
As recalled, about a week ago Kanter declared himself a candidate for the 2027 WNBA draft, which added another layer to the public debate surrounding the issue of transgender athletes in women's sports. The WNBA has not yet confirmed that Kanter is eligible to participate in the draft. On Wednesday, Commissioner Cathy Engelbert met with team general managers to discuss the issue, but the league did not reach a final decision. In a statement provided to ESPN, the league said that "there are no immediate eligibility issues affecting the WNBA at this time," and added that it "strongly condemns bad-faith attempts to use these issues to demean or exclude others."
The relevant clause in the collective bargaining agreement between the WNBA and the players' union states: "Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA." However, the clause itself does not define the term "women" and does not establish a separate policy regarding the eligibility of transgender athletes.
This leaves the central question unanswered. Kanter can claim he is eligible to participate, but only the WNBA can determine if his claim meets the league's rules.
Ben Shapiro, an American conservative political commentator and founder of The Daily Wire website and podcast, defended the Turkish basketball player: "How do they know it's done in bad faith? How do they identify the bad faith? How dare they? How dare they imply that Enes Kanter is acting in bad faith when he says he wants to play in the WNBA? How do they know that? Can they get inside his head? I mean, are they saying he's not a woman? Is that what they're saying now? And if so, how do they know? They need to stop explaining to another woman what a woman is. They need to stop that now. What a disaster the WNBA has become. Truly amazing. They have a historic opportunity to attract an audience to watch them, and they are busy with arguments about the question of what a woman is."
Joe Rogan also addressed the issue and said on his podcast that Kanter's move is "very smart." According to him, "you almost need someone like Kanter to do something like this to show everyone how ridiculous it is."
Kanter "Freedom" also published a short clip from an interview he conducted with former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, in which he said that WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert sent a message to all the general managers and they are "still trying to figure out what a woman is."
"The league has been around for 30 years. Think about how disrespectful that statement is to all the players who have played in the league throughout its history," Kanter said.
