Enes Kanter is arguably the NBA’s most popular Turkish importer. His tremendous work ethic and all-around play have made him a very effective player for his teams. He also does a lot of charity and activism work, which has made him a role model for young fans. His brave stand against human rights abuses in his home country has made him a hero among Turkish expats and moderates.

Born name

Enes Kanter

nickname

Enes

Sun sign

Trails

Place of birth

Zurich, Switzerland

Residence

New York City, New York, United States

nationality

training

Enes Kanter ging zum Stoneridge Preparatory School in Simi Valley, Kalifornien.

In November 2009, he had agreed verbally to join the University of Washington . In April 2010, however, he signed a letter of intent to join University of Kentucky to play college basketball.

He was unable to join either college, however, the NCAA ruled him ineligible to play college basketball because he received approximately $33,000 in benefits from Fenerbahçe, which was well over the acceptable limit.

occupation

Professional basketball player

family

• Father – Mehmet Kanter (Professor of Histology at Trakya University)
• Nut – Gulsum Kanter
• Siblings – Kerem Kanter (Younger Brother) (Basketball Player), Ahmad Kanter (Brother), Betul Kanter (Brother)

Manager

Enes Kanter is represented by Maestro Corporate Group, led by founder Mevlüt “Hilmi” Çınar.

Position

Center

Shirt Number

0 – Utah Jazz

11 – Oklahoma City Thunder

00 – New York Knicks

To build

Athletic

Height

6 feet 11 inches or 211 cm

weight

111 kg or 244.5 lbs

girlfriend/spouse

Enes Kanter has dated –

1. Dana Brooke (2018-Present) – Enes is reportedly dating wrestler Dana Brooke as she shared some of their pictures on her Instagram account.

race/ethnicity

near East

Enes has Turkish ancestors.

hair colour

Black (natural)

eye color

dark brown

sexual orientation

Just

distinguishing features

• tall stature
• beard and moustache

brand promotion

Enes Kanter has not endorsed any brand yet.

Religion

His religious views are not known.

Known for

• Play professional basketball for popular American franchises, including Utah Jazz , Oklahoma City Thunders , and New York Knicks
• Being a controversial figure in his native country as his close relationship with exiled politician and activist Fethullah Gülen and his support for the Gülen movement have made him a target of hatred for hardliners and Recep Erdogan supporters

First basketball game

In December 2011, he made his professional NBA debut with the Utah Jazz in their match against the Los Angeles Lakers. He made history by becoming the first jazz rookie to record 11 rebounds in the debut match.

first movie

He hasn’t starred in any movies before.

First TV show

In 2018, Enes Kanter made his first TV show appearance as himself on the talk show, The Michael Kay Show .

Personal trainer

Enes Kanter trains regularly under the guidance of Mike Atkinson, the professional performance coach based in New York City. Atkinson developed a training routine that focuses solely on the functional aspect of training. He gets him to do different moves at the gym that he would do on the basketball court. To make these workouts more challenging and dynamic, he used accessories like resistance bands.

Enes Kanter’s favorite things

• Athletes – Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer and Michael Phelps
• Ringer – Undertaker
• New York City Turkish Restaurant – ABA Restaurant
• Ideal dinner guests – Martin Luther King, Michelle Obama, Donald Trump
• Movie – Home Alone (1990)
• Actor – Jim Carrey
• Entertainer – Kevin Hart
• Meal – Salmon

Enes Kanter The fact

1. Kanter began his basketball career playing for the Fenerbahçe youth team. He played with the team for around two years before being given an opportunity to break into the senior team in 2008.
2. Early in his career, he was offered professional contracts by Fenerbahçe and Greek basketball team Olympiacos, but he turned down such offers when he wanted to play high school and college basketball in the United States.
3. In 2009, Enes moved to the United States and began his high school basketball career with Stoneridge Preparatory School . He played basketball for the team for the 2009–10 season.
4. By the end of his high school career, he was rated a 5-star prospect by Rivals.com and Scout.com.
5. In 2011, he was selected by the Utah Jazz as the third overall pick in the NBA draft. He was one of the best regards prospects on the draft.
6. In December 2011, Enes signed a deal with Jazz. The deal was delayed due to the NBA’s suspension, which began in July and lasted about 161 days.
7. In his rookie season, he played all regular games for Jazz, making him the 10th rookie to receive the honor. He averaged 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds for the season.
8. He sat out 10 games towards the end of the 2013–14 season while recovering from a shoulder injury.
9. In February 2015, Kanter joined Oklahoma City Thunder in a 3-way deal that included Detroit Pistons alongside Thunder and Jazz.
10. He became a restricted free agent late in the 2014–15 season and was paid $70 million on a 4-year contract from Portland Trail Blazers . However, Thunder used his right of first refusal and agreed to Blazer’s offer to keep him with the franchise.
11. In January 2017, he broke his forearm after hitting a chair on the Thunder Bank during a game against the Dallas Mavericks.
12. In September 2017, Thunder decided to trade him in the opposite direction, moving to the New York Knicks with Carmelo Anthony. Thunder also included Doug McDermott and a second round selection in 2018.
13. After the failed 2016 coup attempt, Enes unleashed a scathing attack on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Twitter, accusing him of staging a fake coup to consolidate his power and eliminate his rivals and dissidents under the guise of coup investigations.
14. His father and family had to publicly repudiate him for his political views and his staunch support of Fethullah Gülen, accused by Erdogan of the planning coupe. His father even asked him to change his last name.
15. Although he publicly opposed Kanter, his father was still dismissed from his position at the university due to a government decree being issued against him.
16. In May 2017, his passport was canceled by the Turkish authorities, temporarily detaining him in Romania before he was allowed to fly to London. He later revealed that he feared being deported to Turkey, where he could face even worse torture.
17. Around 10 days after his passport was cancelled, the Turkish authorities issued an arrest warrant for him as they claimed he was a member of a terrorist group. In December it became known that Turkish prosecutors are seeking a prison sentence of more than four years against Kanter.
18. Visit his official website @ eneskanter11.com.
19. Follow Enes Kanter on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.