Enes Kanter was just another fan.
The Knicks center, who opted against joining the team in London because of fears of an assassination attempt perpetrated by Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan, watched Thursday’s game against the Wizards on TV from his apartment in White Plains, while sporting the team’s blue jersey.
Sitting more than 3,400 miles away from his teammates, Kanter felt helpless watching the Knicks collapse and suffer a one-point loss in the final second.
“It was boring, man. It was very boring,” Kanter said of being away from the team. “I was happy because we were up 19, but it was definitely tough because sitting there, being healthy, and not to be able to help your teammates. Definitely tough.”
It was a week unlike any other in his eight-year career.
While the Knicks were abroad, the 26-year-old was in Washington, continuing to speak out against the Turkish government, which has sought a warrant for his arrest. Kanter met in the nation’s capital with multiple politicians, who assured him he couldn’t be extradited and applauded his continued principled stance against his homeland’s current regime during a years-long feud.
“It was amazing, man. It was definitely amazing,” Kanter said. “Because I met with so many important people, so many politicians, congressmen, senators, so many journalists,” Kanter said. “It was definitely important for me to go meet with those guys, ask them about their opinion, and talk about all these issues going on in Turkey.
“That actually made me very happy, all the support I’m getting from the congressmen and the senators. Again, I was very happy that NBA commissioner Adam Silver, and Knicks owner James Dolan showed support. That shows the NBA stands with freedom of speech and stands with democracy. It definitely made me very happy and gave me a lot of confidence in what I’m doing.”
When the Knicks return to the Garden for Monday’s matinee against Kanter’s former team — the Thunder — he will be able to take the court for the first time since Jan. 8. In addition to the London game, he missed a pair of contests with flu symptoms.
Kanter had proudly posted on social media that he had eaten seven burgers — including triple-stacked patties topped with eggs — just prior to falling ill. But they weren’t the culprit, he said.
“It was not burgers. I mean, I ate a lot of burgers that night, but it was the flu. It was definitely the flu,” Kanter said. “We just came back from a long road trip, and we landed at like 7 a.m., and I only slept like an hour. Of course, New York is pretty cold.
“I’m all the way better. … I feel good. I feel rested. I feel fresh. I’m happy to be back, definitely.”
Kanter is back, but minutes may be hard to come by.
Despite averaging 14 points and 11 rebounds this season, the impending free agent and trade candidate could end up the odd-man out at center. The Knicks want to learn more about the potential of 23-year-old Luke Kornet, who recently claimed the starting role, and 20-year-old Mitchell Robinson, who returned from an ankle injury last week.
“Here we go again, I got another thing to figure out,” coach David Fizdale said. “But that’s on me to figure it out. By the game. I will.”