ESPN analyst takes a dig at ‘desperate’ Enes Kanter while discussing Klay Thompson to Miami Heat

While discussing Klay Thompson’s move to the Miami Heat, one ESPN analyst had some choice words for Enes Kanter.

Kanter has made himself one of the central figures in the recent controversy surrounding the WNBA, with his recent push to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft.

These public antics from Kanter have not been received well by many in the NBA world, as one ESPN analyst used a recent signing to take shots at the former Boston Celtics star.

During the latest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast, ESPN analysts Brian Windhorst and Tim McMahon discussed Klay Thompson signing with the Miami Heat.

Describing how the Miami Heat needed a shooter like Thompson to alleviate their spacing concerns, he described the team as being just as desperate as Enes Kanter is for attention.

“When he went to Dallas, he felt he was coming in to be the final piece… At this point in his career, he’s a shooting specialist.

“He used to be an amazing, Hall of Fame two-way wing… He can’t do anything off the dribble anymore. You gotta protect him defensively now. But the Heat are as desperate for shooting as Enes Kanter is for attention.”

McMahon is far from the first person to suggest that Kanter’s recent public behaviour has been a way for him to insert his name into the public discourse again.

Given how visible Kanter has made himself over the issue, there is reason to believe that the former Boston Celtics star is leveraging the situation to boost his media profile.

Kanter’s most recent move was to attend a WNBA game between the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky, where he got into a verbal altercation with Sky star Natasha Cloud.

This altercation understandably went viral, which led to Kanter making an appearance on Fox News earlier this week and giving his thoughts on the matter.

Many of Kanter’s critics believe he is grifting, as he is using the WNBA discourse around athlete eligibility and making a public mockery of it to bring his name back to prominence.

Over the last few years, Kanter has seen any opportunities to play professional basketball disappear and has shifted his focus to becoming a media presence and personality instead.

Inserting himself into one of the most public and divisive sports discourses in recent history is a surefire way to get people talking about him again, and it has certainly worked.

Read more:

• ‘Classless’ – Stephen A. Smith slams Enes Kanter after incident at Fever game
• Chicago Sky owner explains ‘threat’ reason for banning Enes Kanter from WNBA arena
• Courtside Fever fan disputes false claims surrounding Enes Kanter’s WNBA ejection