Enes Kanter Freedom’s night at Wintrust Arena quickly went from watching the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky to becoming the center of attention himself. The former NBA center was booed by fans before being involved in a heated exchange with Sky guard Natasha Cloud. He was eventually escorted out of the arena, but the controversy did not end there.

Freedom later addressed the incident on social media, claiming he was being removed for supporting women. His explanation did little to quiet the reaction from people around the basketball world. One of the most notable responses came from his former Portland Trail Blazers teammate Evan Turner.

“Enes, What are you doing brother?” Turner wrote on X. Turner and Freedom were teammates during the 2018-19 season after Freedom joined Portland following a buyout. Years later, Turner found himself questioning the decision of his former teammate to turn a WNBA game into another platform for his ongoing campaign.

The incident unfolded late in the third quarter. With 1:22 remaining, Cloud scored inside before turning toward Enes Kanter Freedom, who was seated along the baseline. She pointed and appeared to yell in his direction. Freedom stood up and moved toward the court, with security and several Sky players quickly stepping between the two. The situation never became physical, but it was tense enough for security to remove Freedom from the seating area.

As he was escorted toward the lobby, he displayed his shirt and continued to argue his position. While Turner questioned the antics, Kyle Kuzma was blunt with his assessment.

“Look at the drama queen….. no not Natasha. Grown man stepping over the baseline at a woman 🤡,” Kuzma wrote.

Enes Kanter Freedom had attended Sunday’s game wearing a black shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” He had previously also announced plans to declare for the 2027 WNBA Draft, making his presence at a WNBA game especially provocative given his outspoken views on transgender athletes and eligibility in women’s sports.

The criticism did not stop with current NBA players and former teammates. Shannon Sharpe also addressed the incident on Nightcap, questioning why Enes Kanter Freedom would intentionally wear a shirt that was likely to provoke a reaction.

“You know, man, people just want their 15 minutes of fame and just going to just carry on and carry on and carry on. I don’t get it. You (Freedom) wear the t-shirt knowing that you’re going to enrage people. I don’t I don’t get his angle.”

Former NBA All-Star Joe Johnson, who appeared as a guest on Sharpe’s podcast, was similarly skeptical. Johnson questioned whether Freedom had attended the game simply to create controversy and attract attention. “Didn’t he go there just to be the agitator, just to cause ruckus, just to make the headlines?” Johnson said.

Robert Griffin III was another broadcaster to question Enes Kanter’s actions. “Enes Kanter is causing more harm and damage to the women he claims he is trying to protect. THIS is lame,” Griffin wrote on his official X account.

Cloud and Freedom exchanged words. Security intervened. Freedom was escorted out. And within hours, several familiar basketball voices were publicly questioning his decision to put himself in that position. For Enes Kanter Freedom, the ejection became another opportunity to promote his message.