E. Kanter Freedom, adorned in a WNBA jersey, claims in a video that he has familiarized himself with the 409-page WNBA rulebook. It states that “only women can qualify to participate” in the draft, but according to the former basketball player, the rulebook does not define the term “woman.”
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“I am definitely not trying to mock, ridicule, or disrespect the community or personal choices; I just want the WNBA rules to be applied equally, consistently, and without exceptions,” said E. Kanter Freedom, stating that to play in the WNBA, he identifies as a woman.
The 34-year-old, 208 cm tall player was drafted third overall in the 2011 NBA draft, hearing his name called two picks before Jonas Valančiūnas.
He spent 11 years in the NBA, and in his best season posted impressive stats – averaging 18.7 points and 11 rebounds per game. However, in 2022 he no longer received offers from NBA teams, and the player himself was convinced that his off-court activities contributed to this.
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Known as a critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, E. Kanter Freedom lost his Turkish citizenship and has repeatedly claimed that his life may be in danger. After several years, the player obtained U.S. citizenship, added the word “Freedom” to his name, and has expressed intentions to run for the U.S. Congress in 2028.
E. Kanter Freedom stated years ago that he could “put on a wig and identify as a woman” to play in the WNBA, responding to the increasingly frequent discussions about transgender participation in women’s sports.
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