Former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom, after saying on social media that he should put on a wig and "start dominating the WNBA," told Newsmax that he's not the only male basketball player who doesn't believe biological men should compete in women's sports.
"No male athlete has ever spoken about these issues before, and I remember having this conversation with my teammates and a lot of crewmen," Freedom said on Newsmax's "Newsline" on Tuesday. "It just makes sense. Men do not belong in women's spaces. You know, restrooms, locker rooms, and sports."
Freedom's comments came after he posted his message on social media platform X, showing a photo of himself wearing a pasted-on wig and saying, "I'm identifying myself as a woman! Lol. From now on y'all can call me ENISHA Freedom. I'm [a] 7 foot and 270 pounds biological male who wants to compete in women's sports. Hey @WNBA, are you hiring?"
While Freedom said everyone he has talked to is against transgender women playing in women's sports, they said they aren't speaking out because they don't want to be "canceled."
He said he then started to research and educate himself and found examples of female athletes who had their careers harmed by biological males in their sports, such as swimmer Riley Gaines.
"These girls, from when they were a kid, their dream was to become the most successful athletes in their neighborhood, in their cities, in their state, and just think about me, 7-foot-4, 270-pound male just comes out and identifies myself as a woman," he said.
He added that he hasn't teamed up with Gaines, who has been speaking out about the issue, but he met her during last year's State of the Union speech "and she's a brilliant woman."
"She's very smart, very good, courageous," he said. "She is getting a lot of hate … and what she is saying is 100% right."
Freedom said he speaks out about things he does not agree with because of how he was raised, and "With something like this, about biological males not belonging in women's sports, it's not just me, but a lot of NBA players actually believe [that] but they don't want to go out there and say it."
Freedom further said that it "drives me crazy" that women's rights activists are not speaking out about the matter.
"Where are the feminists?" he said. "When it comes to this issue with them they are silent … where are all the girl dads?"
About NEWSMAX TV:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America!
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.