Former NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin Sr. took to social media to publicly call out Enes Kanter for taking his ongoing WNBA eligibility stunt too far.
While acknowledging that Kanter initially raised a valid point regarding league policies, Martin urged him to stop ‘harassing’ players at games and to stop making a ‘mockery’ of the sport.
Kenyon Martin Calls Out Enes Kanter for ‘Harassing’ WNBA Players in Courtside Stunt During Fever-Sky Clash
When the Chicago Sky took on the Indiana Fever on Sunday, Kanter, a courtside spectator, unexpectedly hijacked the game’s outcome.
Trailing by just six points late in the third quarter, Sky guard Natasha Cloud confronted the former NBA center, who was sitting along the baseline wearing a shirt that read: “WOMAN. noun. adult human female.”
Cloud marched over, shouting and pointing at Kanter, who stood up and stepped toward the floor before arena security intervened and escorted him out.
The sideline circus seemed to completely derail Chicago’s focus as the team lost its composure and allowed Indiana to run away with a dominant 113-90 win.
One of the sharpest recent critiques of Kanter’s actions came from former NBA All-Star Kenyon Martin Sr., who posted a video on Instagram directly calling out the 34-year-old.
While Martin noted that people initially understood the point Kanter was trying to make when he announced his stunt of declaring for the WNBA draft, he insisted that ‘harassing’ active players during a live game crossed a line.
Martin urged Kanter to rethink his approach:
“Harassing them at the game, you know it’s a sensitive topic for them. Like it was a little much, my brother,” Martin said. “Let’s not make a mockery of the WNBA, man. Let’s not make a mockery of the trans community. Showing up in their place of business, it’s uncalled for, it’s childish… Let them do their job in peace.”
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Martin’s callout highlights just how split the sports world remains over Kanter’s antics.
On one end, commentators like Clay Travis praised Kanter, blaming arena security and Cloud for instigating the scene. On the other end, former NFL player Breiden Fehoko slammed Cloud for taking the bait and letting her emotions ruin her team’s chance at a comeback.
Meanwhile, many fans and former athletes side with Martin, viewing Kanter’s courtside presence as self-serving.
Ultimately, these mixed reactions aren’t going away anytime soon. Until WNBA leadership puts out a clear, definitive policy regarding transgender athlete eligibility, courtside distractions might continue to overshadow the actual basketball on the floor.
