Add The New York Post on Google Charles Barkley didn’t hold back while discussing debates on transgender athletes in women’s sports and Enes Kanter Freedom’s protest at the Fever-Sky game on Sunday night.
During a Monday appearance on Michael Smerconish’s Sirius XM radio show, the “Inside the NBA” star explained that he’s “disappointed” in NBA commissioner Adam Silver and Cathy Engelbert, the WNBA commissioner for not drawing a line in the sand while attention seekers look to capitalize on the trans conversation.
Barkley began by sharing that he “always supports” both the gay and transgender community when asked about Kanter — who wore a black T-shirt that read, “WOMAN noun. adult human female” at the Sky-Fever game.
“I got nothing but love and respect for gay people and transgender people, but under no circumstances do I think men should play against women. Zero,” Barkley said. “I’m disappointed in Adam Silver and Cathy [Engelbert], the commissioner.”
“… People are looking for attention now. But he [Kanter] has a point though. Because Cathy and Adam haven’t said, ‘Hey, it’s in the title. WNBA. We’re not going to have transgender people in the WNBA, and we’re not going to discuss it again.’
“That’s what Adam and Cathy should have done two or three weeks ago before they turned it over to the internet and every fool, idiot, and jackass to have an opinion on. Adam should come out [and say], and Cathy, I like both of them a lot — ‘There’s no transgender people going to play in the WNBA. If you don’t like it, kick rocks. And we’re not going to discuss it anymore.’”
Freedom, who turned to politics after his 11-year NBA career, was kicked out of Wintrust Arena on Sunday night over a verbal altercation with Chicago Sky guard Natasha Cloud during a timeout called in the third quarter.
It came after Freedom declared for the 2027 WNBA draft earlier this month.
“Enes is trying to get attention,” Barkley said. “Listen, if he did all the operations things — no, we’re not doing that either. [Silver and Engelbert should have said] ‘The WNBA is for women, and listen, this is the last time we’re going to discuss it. We’re not going to turn it over to the fools on the internet. We’re not going to turn it over to Congress. The WNBA is for women only, period. And we’re not going to discuss it again.’”
Barkley went on to explain that debates of transgender atheltes in women’s sports has overshadowed the historic CBA agreement the players fought for in March, as well as other basketball storylines and rising stars, such as Minnesota Lynx rookie, Olivia Miles.
“This was a great summer for them,” Barkley said. “They all got raises. They started making the money that they deserve. They expanded. They’re going to increase games next season. But I can’t remember the last time I heard something positive about the WNBA.”
Freedom and former NBA player Royce White, who also declared for the WNBA draft, will not be eligible to play in the WNBA, league sources told Front Office Sports in a report published Monday.
The WNBA’s new collective bargaining agreement in Article XIII, Section 1(a), states: “Only players who are women are eligible to play in the WNBA.”
The CBA, agreed upon in March, does not include any language around gender identity or gender assigned at birth.
No known transgender woman has played in the WNBA.
The controversy has overwhelmed the league after Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham voiced support for barring transgender athletes from girls and women’s sports in an ESPN article published in July.
