Former Knick Enes Kanter: I Joined The Celtics Because 'They Never Tank'

Danny Ainge and Enes Kanter
Photo credit Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images

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Enes Kanter is ready to start a new chapter with the Boston Celtics.

Kanter joined the Celtics this offseason in free agency after he split last season between the Knicks and the Portland Trailblazers. The Turkish big man will be a key part of Boston’s attempts to bounce back from a disappointing campaign that ultimately resulted in a second-round exit and the departure of Kyrie Irving.

The Celtics had their media day on Monday, and Kanter was asked why he decided to join the franchise. His response can be taken as a bit of a shot against his old team in New York.

Kanter on the Knicks: "That’s one of the biggest reasons I picked Celtics — because they never tank."

— Ben Rohrbach (@brohrbach) September 30, 2019

The Knicks have been infamously bad in recent seasons. They spent last year playing young players in an attempt to tank and win the top selection in the 2019 NBA Draft. New York finished with the league’s worst record, but the reformed lottery rules ended up gifting them the No. 3 pick instead of the No. 1 pick. Thus, they missed out on Zion Williamson.

This coming season is set to be another one where David Fizdale's team prioritizes player development over winning. 

Boston, meanwhile, hasn’t really tanked anytime recently. Danny Ainge and company avoided the need to tank a few years ago when they received an impressive haul from the Nets in return for the aging Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Kanter spent one and a half seasons playing for the Knicks before the team’s priorities resulted in him being benched in favor of youth. He was waived in February of 2019 after taking issue with being demoted from a starter.

This isn’t the first time Kanter has taken a shot at the Knicks since he left New York. He claimed this summer that marquee free agents don’t want to come to play for New York due to issues surrounding James Dolan’s ownership of the team.