The Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter says a lawsuit filed by former NBA player Enes Kanter Freedom against the WNBA team is “meritless and frivolous,” adding that the team will fight the case in court. Freedom filed the suit on Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, after he was ejected from a Chicago Sky game against the Indiana Fever on Aug. 23.
Freedom’s complaint alleges he is being punished for “peacefully exercising” his free speech rights under the First Amendment. The Sky’s response, as reflected in reporting, disputes that framing. The team characterizes the removal as being based on Freedom’s conduct rather than his speech, and says it expects “the truth” to be established in court.
Across the outlets, the core points are consistent: Alter rejects the lawsuit’s claims, the dispute centers on Freedom’s ejection at the Aug. 23 matchup, and the parties disagree on whether the incident involves protected speech or conduct at the game.
