Enes Kanter Freedom sues Chicago Sky for violating rights with ejection, ban

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom filed a lawsuit against the Chicago Sky, alleging that he was wrongfully ejected during a game and subsequently banned from attending future events at Wintrust Arena. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, claims that Kanter Freedom's First Amendment rights were violated when he was ejected from the Aug.

23 game against the Indiana Fever. The complaint alleges that Chicago Women’s Basketball Operations, LLC, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, Wintrust Arena, and the City of Chicago conspired to eject Kanter Freedom in retaliation for his protected expressions and discriminatory actions based on his viewpoint and gender identity.

Kanter Freedom was sitting courtside when he engaged in a shouting match with Sky guard Natasha Cloud during the third quarter. Cloud approached Kanter Freedom, who then stood up, stepped onto the court, and was escorted out by security. The lawsuit asserts that Kanter Freedom posed no threat to public safety and that his ban is unconstitutional.