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The Chicago Sky have firmly denied that Enes Kanter Freedom’s removal from Wintrust Arena was related to his exercise of free speech during a confrontation with WNBA player Natasha Cloud. In response to Freedom’s federal lawsuit, the team’s owner, Michael Alter, dismissed the claim as “meritless and frivolous.”
On September 4th, Freedom, a former NBA player, filed suit in US District Court following his ejection from a Chicago Sky game against the Indiana Fever. Alongside the ejection, the Sky imposed an indefinite ban on Freedom attending future home games.
Background of the Lawsuit
During the game, Freedom wore a shirt bearing the phrase “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” This led to a verbal exchange with Natasha Cloud. According to reports, after Freedom attempted to approach the court and interact with other Sky players, WNBA security intervened and escorted him out of the arena.
The lawsuit names the Chicago Sky’s parent company, the Wintrust Arena, and the city of Chicago as defendants, accusing them of conspiring to suppress Freedom’s freedom of speech.
Owner Michael Alter emphasized that Freedom had worn the shirt for several hours without incident or security intervention. Alter clarified, “Freedom was removed for his conduct, not his speech,” highlighting that the decision was based on behavior rather than expression.
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