Enes Kanter Freedom, a former NBA player, has taken legal action against the Chicago Sky, filing a lawsuit that claims the WNBA team infringed upon his First Amendment rights. The lawsuit was submitted on Thursday in the Northern District of Illinois Eastern Division and comes in response to Freedom's removal from a Sky home game on August 23, as well as an indefinite ban from future games at Wintrust Arena.
The legal complaint names not only the Chicago Sky but also the city of Chicago and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), which manages Wintrust Arena, as defendants. According to the complaint, Freedom asserts that he posed “no danger or immediate threat to public safety” during the incident that led to his ejection. Furthermore, he alleges that the three parties conspired to have him removed from the game.
In his lawsuit, Freedom is requesting that a judge lift the ban imposed on him and award nominal compensatory damages. As of now, neither the Chicago Sky, MPEA, nor the city of Chicago has issued a public comment regarding the lawsuit.
Freedom's ejection stemmed from a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud during the third quarter of the game against the Indiana Fever. Witnesses reported that the exchange escalated when Freedom stood up from his courtside seat and approached Cloud. The complaint describes Cloud as having “charged toward” Freedom, who reportedly stood in “confusion and disbelief” as security intervened. Shortly thereafter, he was escorted out of the arena by Chicago police.
Michael Alter, the owner of the Chicago Sky, confirmed last week that Freedom would be indefinitely banned from attending future games. He emphasized that the decision to eject Freedom was made collaboratively by various security teams, including those from the arena, the NBA, and local law enforcement. Alter stated, “The security people’s job is not to wait until a threat intensifies,” indicating that the consensus among security personnel was that Freedom had become a potential threat.
In recent months, Freedom has expressed a desire to play in the WNBA, challenging the league's gender eligibility criteria by claiming he identifies as a woman. His statements have sparked controversy, particularly after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham voiced her concerns about protecting female athletes in sports. Freedom's public appearances and social media commentary have aimed to draw attention to his position, especially leading up to the incident at the Sky game.
Reports have indicated that both Freedom and another former NBA player, Royce White, who also expressed interest in joining the WNBA, are not eligible to compete in the women's league. Following the incident, Cloud addressed the media, labeling Freedom as an “irrelevant person” and suggesting that the ongoing cultural debate surrounding the WNBA diverts attention from more significant social issues, especially with the upcoming U.S. midterm elections.
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