Enes Kanter got himself ejected from a WNBA game this past Sunday, and it didn’t take long for Super Bowl champion Shannon Sharpe to light him up on his “Nightcap” podcast, accusing the former NBA player of outright “rage baiting” for attention.
Sharpe and Co-Hosts Question Kanter’s Motives
Sharpe, alongside Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and former NBA All-Star Joe Johnson, dove straight into Kanter’s motives following his heated exchange with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud. The “Nightcap” crew held nothing back, suggesting Kanter only showed up to draw attention and cause a scene.
“He probably ain’t never been to no WNBA game. Then go there just to be the agitator, just cause ruckus, just to make the headlines. Come on, bro, what we doing?” Joe Johnson asked. Sharpe went even further, detailing what he saw as Kanter’s calculated play. “He’s rage baiting. Then he’s gonna run to Fox News and talk about, ‘See, this is what I’m talking about, they’re not inclusive. They wanna have their cake and eat it too’ and yada yada yada yada yada,” Sharpe said, summing up the apparent strategy.
Kanter’s WNBA Antics and the Backlash
The ejection itself happened in the third quarter of the Chicago Sky game. Videos show Kanter marching to the baseline, arms stretched out, jawing directly at WNBA veteran Natasha Cloud. This whole spectacle comes just weeks after Kanter declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, a move he made amid a growing controversy surrounding transgender athletes in women’s sports. He explicitly stated he meets “every single requirement necessary to compete in the WNBA” if “simply declaring who you are is all that’s required,” pushing for rules to be applied “equally to everyone.”
To really stir the pot, Kanter wore a shirt with what some called an offensive message: “WOMAN noun. adult human female.” The “Nightcap” co-hosts were not impressed, with Sharpe calling him out for wanting his “15 minutes of fame” and labeling him a “drama queen” for making the WNBA discourse all about himself. Other WNBA fans also slammed Kanter, calling him a “loser” for the altercation. This is all happening while players like Breana Stewart talk about WNBA inclusivity and Natasha Cloud has blasted men for causing trouble at games.
Sharpe’s Ultimate Dig at Kanter’s Career
Sharpe, the 8X Pro-Bowler, didn’t stop at just calling out Kanter’s current behavior. He went straight for the jugular on Kanter’s entire NBA career. “If he ‘were good,’ he’d still be in the NBA,” Sharpe flat-out said. He even added, “His own home country don’t want him back.” That’s a pretty savage take, suggesting Kanter’s current actions are a desperate grab for relevance outside of a legitimate playing career.
This whole situation just highlights how charged the conversation around the WNBA is right now. You gotta wonder if Kanter’s antics will keep drawing the kind of attention Sharpe says he’s after, or if he’s just going to keep wearing out his welcome.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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