A week ago, Enes Kanter threatened to sue the Chicago Sky after he was ejected from Wintrust Arena following a heated verbal spat with guard Natasha Cloud. The former NBA player insisted he broke no rules and never stepped onto the court.
A couple of days after the Kanter-Cloud incident, Sky owner Michael Alter banned him from attending the team’s home games. After Alter described Kanter as a “threat,” the ex-NBA center vowed to take the matter to court.
On Thursday, he followed through.
Enes Kanter Goes After Chicago Sky Legally Following Controversial Ejection Involving Natasha Cloud
Kanter is an outspoken supporter of women’s sports being exclusive to women, a stance that he shares with Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham, who played against the Sky in the aforementioned matchup.
According to the former New York Knicks center, he was only there to support the Fever and Cunningham. He wore a shirt that read “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” The message was his way of questioning the WNBA’s refusal to define the term “women” in its collective bargaining agreement.
Late in the third quarter of the Fever-Sky game, a furious Cloud yelled at Kanter and tried to approach him, prompting the former NBA lottery pick to stand up and take a step. Security immediately placed a hand on him while Cloud was held back by teammates.
Two days after the incident, Sky owner Michael Alter banned Kanter from appearing in any of his team’s home games. Alter, after interviewing Chicago local media, said that Kanter made himself a “threat,” and added a day later that the 6-foot-10 center’s “actions were equal to shooting a gun.”
In an interview with OutKick late last month, Kanter maintained his stance that he never intended to enter the court to confront Cloud. He emphasized that as a former NBA player, he knew the rules concerning fan-player interaction.
For his part, Alter conceded he did not know if the former NBA journeyman crossed the baseline but argued that security personnel needed to immediately block him.
After Alter’s comment, Kanter vowed to take legal action, a course that became official on Thursday.
“SEE YOU IN COURT!!! Just filed a federal complaint. I’m taking legal action over my ejection from the @chicagosky game while peacefully exercising my First Amendment rights. My T-shirt did what the whole @WNBA apparently couldn’t: define a woman,” Kanter tweeted.
“No threats. No violence. Just biology. And somehow, that required a security escort. You don’t have to agree with my speech, but you don’t get to silence me for it. I will not be intimidated. I will not be silenced. I will continue to stand for women and defend free speech.”
🚨SEE YOU IN COURT!!!
Just filed a federal complaint.
I’m taking legal action over my ejection from the @chicagosky game while peacefully exercising my First Amendment rights.
My T-shirt did what the whole @WNBA apparently couldn’t: define a woman.
No threats. No violence.… pic.twitter.com/LqQO6x4z0X
— Enes Kanter FREEDOM (@EnesFreedom) September 3, 2026
Kanter’s federal complaint now moves the dispute into a legal setting, where his claims and the Sky’s position can be examined through the court process. The case adds another chapter to an incident that began with a confrontation in the stands and has since grown into a bigger dispute over fan conduct, free speech, and the limits of security intervention at WNBA games.
