Former NBA center Enes Kanter Freedom has leveled new allegations regarding the cultural dynamics within professional basketball locker rooms, recounting instances where he says teammates shunned him over media appearances and sharing private criticisms of high-profile players. The statements arrive in the wake of a high-profile security confrontation at State Farm Arena during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals in Atlanta.
Freedom’s latest remarks touch on his final season in the league in 2021, during which he says he experienced a sharp shift in how he was treated by teammates depending on the television network he used for interviews. According to Freedom, while an appearance on CNN drew praise from fellow Boston Celtics players in the locker room, a subsequent appearance on to discuss human rights abuses in China resulted in silence and avoided eye contact.
Freedom claimed an assistant coach pulled him aside to whisper praise for the appearance because the coach feared repercussions from players. “He said, because I don’t want your teammates to know that I watch ,” Freedom said, adding that teammates were unreceptive to his explanation that his goal was to reach a broader audience for his human rights advocacy rather than endorse a political party.
In addition to recounting past team dynamics, Freedom claimed that several current NBA players privately hold conservative views or support Donald Trump but conceal them to avoid professional backlash. He asserted that expressing certain political alignments or media habits leads players to fear being ostracized.
Freedom also pointed to conversations with former teammate Dennis Schröder, claiming Schröder privately questioned the motives behind LeBron James’ public advocacy. According to Freedom, Schröder remarked that James’ actions were driven primarily by self-interest, leading Freedom to alter his own view of James. Freedom further criticized James’ conduct during the national anthem before a game between Philadelphia and the New York Knicks, echoing external criticisms of the player’s actions.
Turning to his ongoing activism regarding the WNBA’s gender eligibility policy, Freedom discussed the events leading up to his departure from Game 3 of the WNBA Finals. Arena officials and the Atlanta Dream attempted to direct him to a private luxury suite rather than the courtside seat he had purchased, citing safety concerns. Freedom rejected the alternative seating, stating he wanted visibility for a shirt bearing the question, “What is a woman?” while also maintaining his primary aim was to support the league.
Representatives for State Farm Arena and the Atlanta Dream stated that the suite arrangement was intended to protect Freedom and other guests following security concerns he had previously raised. While objecting to the enforcement of the alternative seating, Freedom noted that the police officers involved treated him courteously and described the encounter without placing fault on law enforcement.
Freedom dismissed accusations that his campaign is a publicity stunt, noting that he has received severe threats referencing past violent incidents. He reiterated that his campaign targeting the WNBA would conclude if the league explicitly restricted eligibility to biological females or added the word “biological” to its collective bargaining agreement. Although the league has already ruled Freedom and fellow former player Royce White ineligible, Freedom stated he intends to continue preparing for the draft and suggested other male professional players could join future efforts if league rules remain unchanged.
