Chicago Sky principal owner Michael Alter released a statement Friday that called a lawsuit filed by former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom "meritless and frivolous." In a suit filed Thursday, Kanter Freedom alleged that his First Amendment rights were violated when he was ejected from the Chicago Sky's Aug. 23 game against the Indiana Fever and subsequently banned from Wintrust Arena. The lawsuit lists the Sky, the city of Chicago, and Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns and operates Wintrust Arena, as defendants. Here is Alter's full statement, which he noted will be his last public comment on the matter: "We received word that the entity owning the Chicago Sky is being sued by Mr.
Enes Kanter Freedom for allegedly violating his First Amendment rights. This lawsuit is meritless and frivolous. Freedom's claim that he was removed from Wintrust Arena due to his speech is false.
As his own complaint acknowledges, he wore the shirt in question for multiple hours without any contact with security. Security removed Freedom only after he violated fan code of conduct by rising from his seat, gesturing at a player, and stepping toward the court. Freedom was removed for his conduct, not his speech.
We look forward to the truth prevailing in court. At the advice of our legal counsel, given that there is now pending litigation, we will have no further public comments on the matter outside of the courtroom." Late in the third quarter of the Sky's matchup with the Fever, Kanter Freedom -- wearing a shirt that read "woman noun. adult human female." -- got into a verbal altercation with Sky guard Natasha Cloud and moved toward the court. Security immediately intervened and escorted him from his courtside seat before any further escalation.
After brief protestations, Kanter Freedom was removed from the arena. Two days later, the Sky announced that Kanter Freedom would be banned from Wintrust Arena indefinitely. "He has demonstrated to us, unequivocally, that he has the potential to be a threat," Alter said upon announcing the decision.
Amid the ongoing debate about transgender athletes, Kanter Freedom and fellow former NBA player Royce White declared themselves as eligible to play in the WNBA. While the WNBA has issued no official statement on the matter, CBS Sports spoke to sources around the league who said they do not consider the eligibility of Kanter Freedom and White a legitimate issue and view their recent actions as publicity stunts.
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