Ex-NBA Player Enes Kanter Claims He and Caitlin Clark Could Be WNBA’s “Next Kobe and Shaq”

After declaring that “rules are rules” over the WNBA’s undefined eligibility language, Enes Kanter decided a legal argument alone wasn’t clear enough. So he built out the fantasy roster to go with it.

Kanter Freedom, who officially declared for the 2027 WNBA Draft, used a sit-down interview with former Auburn coach Bruce Pearl to lay out his dream scenario. He landed with the Indiana Fever and wants a modern-day version of one of basketball’s most legendary duos.

“I’m really excited. It’s going to be fun, especially if I get drafted by a team like maybe Indiana,” Kanter said. “They can definitely use some big. Me and Caitlin will be modern Kobe and Shaq. I’m telling you.”

Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal won three consecutive championships together with the Lakers from 2000 to 2002. They were one of the most dominant inside-outside pairings in NBA history.

Pushed by Pearl on whether he could actually make the roster, Kanter said. “I’m just thinking about this scenario, right? We’re going down a lane and Caitlin just throwing a lob. I cut the lob and I’m just dunking the ball,” he said, describing the connection that made the Bryant-O’Neal comparison work in the first place.

Kanter’s stunt began after Fever guard Sophie Cunningham’s remarks about opposing trans athletes in women’s sports set off a league-wide debate.

Kanter and fellow former NBA player Royce White both declared for the 2027 draft in the aftermath, citing the WNBA’s collective bargaining agreement, which states only “women” are eligible without defining the term.

The WNBA has not ruled on either declaration. League insiders have indicated that the organization isn’t treating the moves as serious roster threats. Kanter has maintained that the stunt is meant to expose inconsistency in league policy rather than mock anyone.

“I’m definitely not here to mock, make fun of, or disrespect any community or personal choices,” he said in an earlier video that’s drawn skepticism, given some of his more provocative comments.

A Mixed Reaction, With Some Backing From Unexpected Places

The response to Kanter’s Fever fantasy has been divided. Some fans agreed, while others mocked the argument.

Not everyone in the NBA media has been as forgiving. Stephen A. Smith said Kanter’s overall campaign had “gone too far,” even while he acknowledged the underlying question about the league’s eligibility rules.

The 2027 draft is still months away, and the WNBA has yet to issue any formal eligibility ruling on either Kanter or White. The Kobe-and-Shaq comparison remains a hypothetical scenario rather than anything close to a real front-office plan.

Clark and the Fever have not commented on Kanter’s remarks. And there’s no indication Indiana views the pairing as anything more than the latest chapter in a publicity campaign that’s shown no signs of slowing down since it started.