Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter has responded to a lawsuit filed by former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, characterizing the legal action as lacking merit. The dispute stems from an incident at an August 23 game between the Sky and Indiana Fever, where Kanter was removed from the arena during the third quarter.
Kanter claims his ejection violated his First Amendment rights, attributing it to a controversial T-shirt he wore displaying the dictionary definition of “woman.” However, Alter’s statement disputes this narrative entirely. According to the team owner, security did not remove Kanter because of his apparel. Instead, Alter asserts that Kanter engaged in disruptive conduct by standing up, making gestures toward a player, and moving toward the court in violation of fan conduct policies. Alter noted that Kanter had worn the shirt for several hours without incident before the confrontation occurred.
Following the ejection, the Chicago Sky officially banned Kanter from attending their home games. Additionally, the WNBA has blocked Kanter’s attempted entry into the league’s draft, citing gaps in the collective bargaining agreement regarding athlete eligibility definitions. Kanter has indicated his intention to pursue further legal action against the league if his draft eligibility remains denied without explicit policy language.
Alter concluded his statement by emphasizing that Kanter’s removal was based on his conduct rather than his speech, and indicated the team would reserve further comments for the courtroom as litigation proceeds.
Originally reported by Sports.yahoo →
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