{
  "id": 3437481,
  "title": "‘Classless’ – Stephen A. Smith slams Enes Kanter after incident at Fever game",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/classless-stephen-a-smith-slams-enes-kanter-after-incident-at-fever",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-26T05:43:22.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/classless-stephen-smith-slams-enes-054322805.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Stephen A. Smith, a prominent sports commentator, recently criticized Enes Kanter's behavior during a recent WNBA game between the Chicago Sky and the Indiana Fever. Despite agreeing with the stance that trans athletes should not play in the WNBA, Smith could not defend Kanter's actions. Kanter, a former NBA player, had planned to force changes to the WNBA CBA by declaring for the WNBA Draft.\n\nDuring the game, Kanter attended as a courtside fan, but his behavior led to his removal from the arena. He was seen standing with his arms wide open after Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud made a difficult layup. This response from Kanter resulted in his ejection from the game. Kanter later claimed that Cloud made remarks about him wanting to sleep with Sophie Cunningham, although this claim has not been verified.\n\nSmith took to his own show to discuss the incident, condemning Kanter's actions as \"classless.\" He emphasized that the WNBA players have nothing to do with Kanter's issues and that they do not deserve to be agitated. The Chicago Sky have since banned Kanter from attending their future games, but a WNBA-wide ban has not been implemented. Kanter remains hopeful to enter the WNBA Draft as long as the current CBA remains vague regarding gender eligibility.",
  "summary": "Stephen A. Smith might agree with the stance that trans athletes should not play in the WNBA, but even he can’t defend Enes Kanter’s recent actions.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Indiana Fever game sets viewership record and matches NBA average from last season",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/26/indiana-fever-game-sets-viewership-record-and-matches-nba-average",
        "published": "2026-08-26T07:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}