Enes Freedom leaves WNBA Finals after sparring with police over seating change amid security concerns

2026-10-22 · Views: 170

Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom was seen leaving State Farm Arena on Wednesday after a heated and lengthy confrontation with police at the security entrance over his seating arrangement for Game 3 of the WNBA Finals.xa0

Prior to the game, Freedom was directed to watch Wednesday night’s WNBA Finals game from a private luxury suite with additional security after contacting authorities and basketball officials about concerns for his safety. Freedom was seen saying "I guess they'll have to drag me," in a video of a phone conversation with arena security, defying the directive.

When he arrived at the arena, he was told that if he were let in, he was told by a security officer he would have to go to the suite that was designated for him, to which Freedom aggressively protested, as seen in footage posted by Benny Johnson.

Freedom repeatedly demanded access to the seats he said he had purchased, rejecting the suite arrangement. "I purchased thousands of dollars of tickets, right? And I would like to sit on my seat. That’s all I want," he said.

An official cited both Freedom’s previously expressed safety concerns and his ejection from an earlier WNBA game as reasons for the arrangement. "For one, you expressed you were concerned about your security. You showed up here, right, with security," the official said. "So we’re saying we’re gonna make this a safe environment for you."

The exchange grew more contentious when an official referenced Freedom’s social media post about a player. Freedom defended the post as free speech. When told he was targeting people, he repeatedly demanded to know whom the official meant.

"Give me a name. Give me exactly a name," he said.

Freedom was also told he would receive a refund, but continued to reject the arrangement.xa0

"I don’t want a refund. I would like to sit on my seat and enjoy the game," he said.xa0

He accused those handling the encounter of bullying him and compared the proposed suite restriction to being placed in a cage.

Officers ultimately told Freedom he had to leave the property, explaining that he could go onto public streets. He eventually departed, saying, "Well, I guess you got to escort me," before walking away.

Afterward, Freedom accused the organizations involved of excluding him since of his advocacy.xa0

"They kicked me out of the game for supporting women," he said in a conversation with Johnson. "Shame on the NBA and shame on the WNBA."xa0

He also denied having security concerns, despite his earlier statements about threats and the explanation given during the encounter.xa0

Asked whether he felt discriminated against, Freedom responded, "Of course, this is discrimination."

The arrangement for Game 3 between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries at State Farm Arena follows Freedom’s public claims that he received death threats over his planned attendance. He previously told OutKick he was in contact with the FBI and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp's office about the threats.

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