EXCLUSIVE AUDIO: NBA’s Bizarre Call Kicking Enes Kanter Freedom Out Of WNBA Finals Seats

Enes Kanter Freedom spent nearly $15,000 on court-side seats for game 3 of the WNBA Finals in Atlanta between the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream only for the NBA to step in and kick him out of his seats at State Farm Arena faster than the WNBA hopeful would put up 50 points in his debut.

Just 45 minutes before the game was set to begin, Freedom received a call from NBA Chief Security Officer Leon Newsome, informing him that he was no longer allowed to sit in his seats and was being forced to move to a suite. In exclusive audio obtained by The Daily Wire, Newsome and another NBA official only said that they were concerned about “safety.”

“Based off the concerns that Mr. Freedom raised about his personal safety … and to address the safety and security of players and the fans, the spectators, the WNBA and arena security — we’ve arranged a suite for him,” Newsome told Dr. Chris Leader, the executive director of America First Studios & Productions and a friend of Freedom.

The call marks the first time the NBA has addressed the controversy surrounding Freedom and the WNBA. The NBA, which owns 42% of the WNBA, has propped up the women’s league financially since its first season in 1997.

Newsome defended the decision force Freedom and his group out of their seats by mentioning how Freedom was kicked out of a WNBA arena in Chicago earlier this year after a Chicago Sky player yelled at him over his support for Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham and his advocacy for keeping men out of women’s sports. Newsome also claimed that Freedom was “targeting players.”

“The suite is the only available option to Mr. Enes and your group tonight to watch the game tonight,” the NBA chief security officer said, adding that sitting in the nearly $15,000 court-side seats they had already purchased was “not an option.”

“I guess you guys have to escort us out,” Freedom told Newsome. “Goodbye.”

Freedom was ultimately escorted out of State Farm Arena surrounded by police officers and wasn’t refunded for his court-side tickets.

Freedom believes there’s an obvious reason behind the debacle. He told The Daily Wire on Monday that the league didn’t want his “what is a woman?” shirt seen around the arena or on television screens. By forcing Freedom to move to a suite, the NBA and WNBA would prevent the 6’10 former NBA center from being seen by fans.

“They weren’t comfortable with his shirt being shown,” Leader said.

“Just talked to director of security of the @NBA and they are now banning us from our purchased seats. Shame on
@WNBA,” Freedom said right after the incident last week. “I guess they have to escort me out of the building. Stay tuned.”

This wasn’t a surprise appearance for Freedom. He made the announcement he was going to Atlanta days before the game, but wasn’t denied his tickets till 45 minutes before tipoff.

“Enes Freedom paid top dollar for court-side seats — not to make a spectacle, but to enjoy the game and show respect for the players,” Chad Mizelle of America First Studios & Productions told The Daily Wire.

“The restrictions imposed on Enes raise a serious question: was the NBA focused on security — or on controlling the optics?” he added.

While Newsome cited Freedom’s one prior incident at a Chicago Sky game, when he was forcibly removed from the arena, Chicago’s ban on Freedom doesn’t apply to State Farm Arena in Atlanta or any other WNBA arenas.

The WNBA hopeful, who declared his intention to enter the draft earlier this year was just informed last week that he, along with former NBA player Royce White, did not qualify to play in the WNBA. The league said that neither Freedom nor White could play in the WNBA because they are “both men,” but the league has yet to say how it determines who is a man and who is a woman.

“She knows what a man is but she can’t define what a woman is,” Freedom said about WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert.

Still, Freedom refuses to stay silent on the issue and plans to proceed with his pre-draft preparations.

“The WNBA can change their rules today. I’m not a psychopath, I’m a nice guy. If the WNBA added one word to their bylaws, which would define a woman, I would walk into the sunset. Everything can end tomorrow. The ball is in their court,” he said.

The former NBA star has a long history of standing up for groups who are being targeted, and despite death threats, harassment, and negativity, he finds the positive in the comments he gets from parents who are raising the next generation of women.

“I have not seen any parent that has a daughter come up to me and say something negative,” Freedom told The Daily Wire. “It’s all positive. I’m fighting not just for the now, but for the next generation.”

And Freedom enjoys the game. He said he loves women’s sports and wants the WNBA to thrive. The best way to do that, he said, is to keep men out of women’s spaces.

“I believe in strong women, equal opportunities, and fair competition. These athletes deserve respect, recognition, and a level playing field. Standing up for women’s sports isn’t about hating anyone. It’s about protecting fairness and celebrating the incredible women who inspire the next generation,” Freedom said.

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