From New York to Portland and now finally in Boston, Enes Kanter is seemingly content with where he ended up.
The Turkish big man, who scored 1,614 points for New York from 2017-19 has been openly critical of Knicks’ ownership since leaving town. His final months with the team were spent coming off the bench as the Knicks went with a younger lineup with an eye on getting a top draft pick. Kanter was waived in February, signed with the Trail Blazers four days later to finish the season with free agency looming, and then joined the Celtics on a two-year, $10 million contract in July.
Despite his travels, it sounds like he believes anywhere would’ve been better than with the 17-win Knicks.
“That’s why I chose Celtics,” Kanter told reporters at the Celtics’ Media Day on Monday. “They don’t tank.”
“If someone is telling me to go out there not to win, that’s not in my blood,” he said. “I’m going out there to win every game and play hard and give 100 percent every time. So, if someone tells me to do the opposite, I’m not going to accept it. It doesn’t matter who’s telling me.”
Kanter will be a big piece for the Celtics, who are rebuilding on the fly after the offseason departure of Kyrie Irving. Instead, Boston will center around Kemba Walker while Kanter mentors rookie Tacko Fall and will have an important role for coach Brad Stevens’ squad.
“We’re going to throw him the ball in the post at times,” Stevens told media. “He’s going to roll to the rim, he’s going to seal, [and] he’s going to rebound. He’s a capable guy stretching the floor, but we’re going to let him soar with those other strengths first and foremost.”
The Knicks will get to see that plan up close when they host Kanter and the Celtics in their home opener on Oct. 26 at MSG.