Enes Kanter

Enes Kanter is a professional American basketball player who played in the NBA league for different teams. The Turkish player was born on May 20, 1992 in Zurich, Switzerland. He joined the National Basketball Association through the 2011 NBA draft. The Utah Jazz selected Enes as the third overall pick. After that, he played for many other teams in the NBA, including the Oklahoma City Thunder, New York Knicks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Boston Celtics. He played high school basketball for a season. Enes Kanter represented the Turkish national basketball team at the international level from 2008 to 2015.

Enes Kanter Early Life

Enes Kanter was born in Switzerland to Turkish parents. He grew up in Turkey and then his family shifted to the United States when Kanter was 17. His father, Mehmet Kanter, worked as a professor of histology and genetics at Trakya University. Mehmet completed his M.D. from the University of Zurich. Enes’s mother, Gulsum Kanter, is a nurse by profession. Also, Enes has three younger siblings, including two brothers and a sister. He gives credit to the television shows Jersey Shore and SpongeBob SquarePants for improving his English.

Enes Kanter used to play basketball for his school before moving to the US in 2009. He played some games for the EuroLeague and Turkish Basketball League as well. Fenerbahce and Olympiacos offered Kanter professional contracts. He refused to accept the offers since he wished to play college basketball in the US. Enes attended some Hizmet-affiliated schools. After spending some time in Ankara, he moved to Istanbul to play professional basketball.

Enes Kanter NBA Journey

Before joining the NBA league, Enes Kanter played for the Fenerbahce in the 2008-09 season. He represented his team in a total of nine games, four in the EuroLeague and five in the Turkish Super League. Later, Kanter was drafted by the Utah Jazz in the 2011 NBA draft. He signed his rookie-scale contract with the Jazz on December 9, 2011. Also, by appearing in every regular-season game in 2011-12, Enes became the 10th Jazz rookie in franchise history. This season, Kanter averaged 4.6 points and 4.2 rebounds in 66 games he played.

In the 2012-13 season, Enes averaged 7.2 points and 4.3 rebounds in 70 games. In a win over the Charlotte Bobcats, he underwent the first 20-20 game of his career with 23 points and 22 rebounds. However, Kanter missed the last 10 games of the same season following his dislocated left shoulder. In the 2013-14 season, he played 80 games and averaged 12.3 points and 7.5 rebounds. Enes got his then career-high 27 points against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 3. Kanter also secured a career-high 29 points on December 16, 2014 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Enes Kanter was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 19, 2015 in a three-team deal. It also involved the Detroit Pistons. In his debut game for the franchise, Kanter recorded a double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds against the Charlotte Hornets on February 21. In a triumph against the Blazers on March 14, 2016, Enes registered a then season-high 26 points. He posted a career-high 33 points and 20 rebounds again against the Blazers a month later. With this, he became the first player in Thunder history to secure at least 30 points and 20 rebounds in a single game.

In September 2017, Enes Kanter joined the New York Knicks. He posted 10 points and 7 rebounds against the Thunder in his debut for the Knicks. On November 11, 2018, Kanter logged his fifth straight double-double with 16 points and 15 rebounds in a game against the Orlando Magic. In a victory over the Grizzlies, Enes recorded 21 points and a career-high 26 rebounds on November 25.

Kanter signed his next contract to join the Portland Trail Blazers in February 2019. He played his debut game for the Blazers on February 21 and posted 18 points and 9 rebounds against the Brooklyn Nets. In July 2019, the Boston Celtics and Enes agreed to a two-year deal. He averaged 8.1 points and 7.4 rebounds with his new team.

Enes Kanter returned to the Blazers on November 20, 2020 in a three-team deal. In a win against the Detroit Pistons on April 10, 202, he made a career-high and franchise record with 30 rebounds along with 24 points. Kanter further signed a one-year deal with the Boston Celtics in August 2021. But he was traded to the Houston Rockets on February 10, 2022 and waived by the Rockets on February 14, 2022.

Enes Kanter Education

Enes Kanter attended Findley Prep in Henderson, Nevada and then he moved to Mountain State Academy in Beckley. However, both schools didn’t allow him to play high school basketball due to his contract with Nike. Thereafter, Kanter joined Stoneridge Preparatory School based in Simi Valley, California. Kanter played basketball there for a season (2009-10).

Meanwhile, Enes Kanter represented the international team at the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit and posted 34 points and 13 rebounds. It was a record for the event. Scout.com and Rivals.com rated Enes Kanter with the highest possible rating, 5-star. Further, Kanter chose Washington over other universities in 2009 but the next year, he signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for Kentucky. But the NCAA declared him permanently ineligible because Kanter received approx. USD 33,000 from Fenerbahce.

Enes Kanter Championship

Throughout his 11-year-long stint in the NBA, Enes Kanter played for five clubs. He started his journey with the Utah Jazz in 2011 and has recently been waived by the Boston Celtics in 2022. Kanter is yet to lift the first-ever NBA championship of his career.

Enes Kanter Awards and Achievements

Enes Kanter Net Worth

According to some online sources, Enes Kanter Freedom’s net worth is approximately USD 50 million in 2023. However, the real figures of his wealth are unknown to the public. The professional basketball player has amassed a massive fortune from his NBA career, sponsorships as well as other commercial tie-ups with brands.

Enes Kanter Contract

Enes Kanter started his professional basketball career, in fact, in 2009. He signed a deal with Fenerbahce for approximately USD 33,000. After that, Kanter commenced his career in the NBA in 2011 by signing his first NBA contract with the Utah Jazz. In February 2015, Kanter was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder under a three-team deal, involving the Detroit Pistons. Meanwhile, the Portland Trail Blazers presented an offer sheet worth USD 70 million for four years to Enes. But the Thunder matched the deal three days later to retain Kanter.

In 2017, Enes joined the New York Knicks under a new contract before having a short stint with the Portland Trail Blazers. In 2019, Kanter signed a two-year deal worth US$10 million with the Boston Celtics. He returned to the Blazers in November 2020. Later, he signed a one-year contract worth USD 2.7 million with the Boston Celtics.

Enes Kanter Family

In the family, Enes Kanter Freedom has three young siblings apart from his parents, Gulsum Kanter and Mehmet Kanter. Currently, Kanter is unmarried and is in a relationship with the Australian model Emily Sears.

Enes Kanter Girlfriend

Emily Sears, an Australian model and fitness lover, is the girlfriend of Enes Kanter. Born in 1985 in Melbourne, Emily was spotted several times with the professional NBA player. She also attended several games of Kanter to cheer him up. Once Sears posted a picture on Instagram with the caption reading, ‘The bravest person I know.’ Before Emily Sears, Enes Kanter dated professional wrestler Dana Brooke as well as fashion designer Ariana Rockefeller.

Enes Kanter Dad

Enes Kanter’s father’s name is Mehmet Kanter. He earned his M.D. degree from the University of Zurich and worked as a professor of histology and genetics at Trakya University.

Enes Kanter Shoe

Enes Kanter had dealt with world famous footwear makers i.e. Nike. He was seen wearing Air Jordan 35 shoes in many of his games on the court. Previously, Kanter wore Nike Zoom Rise and Nike Zoom Rise 2