LONDON — The Enes Kanter cloud is hovering over London, even if the Knicks center remained in New York.
Turkish prosecutors are seeking an international arrest warrant for Kanter, accusing him of membership in a terror organization — and giving more credence to his decision not to come here because he said he feared he would be assassinated by Turkish spies.
Kanter responded on Twitter on Wednesday, saying he “only terrorizes rims.’’
“Turkish Government can NOT present any single piece of evidence of my wrongdoing. I don’t even have a parking ticket in the US (True). I have always been a law-abiding resident,” Kanter wrote with accompanying emojis.
Kanter has feuded with President Recep Tayyip Erdogğan and the Turkish government, which revoked his passport in 2017.
Sabah newspaper reported the Istanbul chief prosecutor’s office had also prepared an extradition request for the Knicks center and officials at the prosecutor’s office could not be reached for comment by the Associated Press. Sabah reported prosecutors are seeking an Interpol “Red Notice” citing Kanter’s ties to Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed for a failed coup in 2016, and accusing him of providing financial support to Gulen’s group.
The Knicks said Wednesday they wished Kanter had been able to make the trip.
“I’m just extremely sad that he’s not with us,’’ Mario Hezonja said at the team’s practice. “As you all know, he’s an amazing guy to have around, so I’m just sad that he’s not with us and he’s not going to be on the court with us.”
“We miss him,’’ coach David Fizdale said. “That’s a decision we respect and understand. We’ll be happy to see him when we get back. I don’t know nothing about that [report].”
The amiable Kanter was voted the Knicks Media Good Guy award last season by the New York Chapter of the Professional Basketball Writers Association. His branding of the Turkish dictator last week as “a lunatic’’, however, may have served to inflame the situation.
In addition, the Knicks are looking to trade the 26-year-old Kanter because he’s also disgruntled with his reduced role amid the losing as the franchise focuses on young centers Mitchell Robinson and Luke Kornet.
“That’s my teammate,’’ Robinson said. “Of course we’ll miss him. He felt like he shouldn’t have come and I kind of agree with him. We miss him a lot. We’re going to need him.”
The Wizards, the Knicks’ opponent Thursday, also addressed Kanter’s situation.
“If it’s for his safety, I don’t want to see a guy get harmed,” forward Sam Dekker said.
Wizards coach Scott Brooks seemed regretful Washington cut ex-Knick Ron Baker after signing him last month when the Knicks released the undrafted Wichita State guard to make room for Allonzo Trier’s NBA contract.
Brooks, like Baker, was a frenetic defender after going undrafted and wound up as a Knicks backup in 1996-97. Baker played four games for the Wizards.
“We loved him,’’ Brooks said. “He’s definitely an NBA player. He’s going to be in the NBA a long time. He just has to find the right spot. You never know. It could be with us. A lot of teams that will need his style of play. He’s a hard-nosed great worker, great teammate. I said when we let him go it was tough, but he’ll be back.”
Asked if Baker reminded him of his early days, Brooks, whose playing career started with the Albany Patroons in the old Continental Basketball Association, said, “Yeah, a lot of the guys that come into the league undrafted you have a certain DNA. He definitely has that wiring. No one’s ever given him anything and he’s earned it all.”
Asked about Kristaps Porzingis missing the trip, Fizdale said, “We kept him back because we thought the flight would be too much. He’s really been working his butt off and getting stronger every day.”
— With AP