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Kanter Freedom Denied Entry to WNBA Finals Game 3
· Confirmed
In Short: Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was denied entry to Game 3 of the WNBA Finals after refusing a private suite offered for his safety.
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was denied entry to Game 3 of the WNBA Finals at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Wednesday night.
Freedom had contacted federal, state, and local authorities, as well as the WNBA, the Atlanta Dream, and State Farm Arena officials, to express concerns about his personal safety.
In response to these concerns, the arena offered Freedom a private luxury suite with additional security, but he refused the arrangement.
Freedom said he wanted to sit in his purchased seat and not in a suite, leading to a heated confrontation with security officials.
Freedom was told he could not enter the arena unless he agreed to sit in the suite, which he rejected.
Freedom accused the organizations involved of excluding him because of his advocacy for transgender athletes and his support for women's rights.
Freedom posted a video on social media showing him being informed at the entry gate: 'If you come in you have to agree to go to the suite.'
Freedom was subsequently ejected from the arena and left without watching the game.
Freedom said he received death threats over his plans to attend the game and was in contact with the FBI.
Freedom's exit from the arena came after he declined to stay in a private suite that was provided to him by the Dream as a safety measure.
Freedom claimed he was kicked out of the game for supporting women and protecting women.
The WNBA and Dream officials maintained that only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and that Freedom and other male athletes are not eligible to play.
What this adds
WarpBeat previously reported that Kanter Freedom was denied entry to Game 3 of the WNBA Finals after refusing a private suite offered for his safety.
Background
Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was denied entry to Game 3 of the WNBA Finals after refusing a private suite offered for his safety.
What's confirmed
- "Enes Kanter Freedom has contacted federal, state and local authorities, the WNBA, the Atlanta Dream and State Farm Arena officials to express concerns about his personal safety during his planned attendance at Game 3 of the WNBA Finals tonight," State Farm Arena said in a statement before Wednesday's game.
- "With respect to your questions regarding eligibility, only women are eligible to play in the WNBA and the individuals you cite in your letter are both men," Engelbert wrote, referring to Freedom and White.
- "Following consultations with the WNBA, Dream ownership, State Farm Arena leadership and security officials, we have directed Mr. Freedom to watch tonight's game from a private luxury suite. This arrangement is intended to address his security concerns and help provide a safe and positive experience for him and other guests. The suite will have additional security and will be his designated viewing location for the game. State police have also assigned an officer to Mr. Freedom at his request."
- "was offered the suite for his safety and he rejected it."
- ATLANTA -- Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was denied entry to Game 3 of the WNBA Finals, according to a video he posted to social media, after he refused to sit in a private suite arranged for him by the Atlanta Dream and State Farm Arena in response to his concerns about his personal safety.
- He was ejected from that game and banned from the arena for getting into a heated interaction with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
- "I guess they have to escort me out of the building."
- "Apparently the WNBA still can't define what a WOMAN is, but they're absolutely certain they know what a MAN is! How convenient!"
- "As you all know, this all started with an interview featuring Gabby Williams of the Golden State Valkyries, when she said, 'I have no problem with trans athletes playing on my team or against my team,'" Freedom said in his post.
- Moments before the Valkyries and the Dream were set to play Game 3 of the WNBA Finals on Wednesday night, former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom said he was kicked out of State Farm Arena.
- He just can’t be here.” Freedom was then seen exiting the arena and said, “They kicked me out of the game for supporting women.
- Just because I purchased tickets, I would like to sit at my seat.” As Freedom continued to try and negotiate his way into the stadium, an Atlanta police officer told him, “We have to get off State Farm property.
What's still developing
- Freedom, who played in the NBA from 2011-22, has spent months proclaiming to be eligible for the 2027 WNBA Draft along with fellow former NBA player Royce White, and using social media to become part of the conversation around transgender athletes.
- The WNBA became a battleground for the debate after comments by Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham.
- Indiana Fever game after getting into a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud.
- He was subsequently banned from Wintrust Arena indefinitely by Sky ownership, but the WNBA did not issue a league-wide ban.
- WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert has said the league's position is they are not eligible.
- "So we’re saying we’re gonna make this a safe environment for you."
- "I don't want a suite, I would like to to sit on the seat that I bought and purchased. I do not want a suite, I'm going to come and sit on the seats that I just bought, that's it," Freedom said when the representative informed him that he would have to sit in a suite.
- A spokesperson for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp separately told OutKick that the governor’s office had connected Freedom’s team with the appropriate law enforcement resources.
- He accused those handling the encounter of bullying him and compared the proposed suite restriction to being placed in a cage.
- When he arrived at the arena, he was told that if he were let in, he was told by a security officer he would have to go to the suite that was designated for him, to which Freedom aggressively protested, as seen in footage posted by Benny Johnson.
- "My DMs are full of pictures and videos of the moment that Charlie Kirk got shot," Freedom said, adding that the messages warned he would suffer the same fate.
- Angel Reese had 21 points and 12 rebounds to help the Dream take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Finals with a 97-71 victory over the Valkyries on Wednesday.