It’s no secret that Enes Kanter is an intense guy but if you had an off-court conversation with the Boston Celtics center, you would likely walk away surprised by just how gregarious and soft-spoken the Swiss big man is.
So, you’d be forgiven if “professional wrestler” wasn’t at the top of your list of post-NBA plans for the contentious big man. However, wrestling is indeed an interest of the former Portland Trailblazer — and not just watching it, either.
Last season, before he joined the Blazers in an improbable playoff run to the Western Conference Finals, Kanter made headlines as a New York Knick after sharing his love for the sport and admitting he’d like to give it a go himself once done with his NBA career.
The folks over at The Score decided they’d like to give Kanter’s long-term plan a push this summer, and arranged to have the league’s most popular player of Turkish ancestry try his luck in the ring under the tutelage of famed World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) luminary Diamond Dallas Page, which they filmed in a mini-documentary.
Kanter and Page quickly proved an engaging pairing, with respect for each other’s forte guiding their collaboration from choke slams to pincha mayurasana yoga poses. The former Knick is certainly blessed with the physical tools needed to be successful in the ring, but found the skills and mentality a surprising challenge early on.
To his credit, Page was a willing if realistic instructor and advisor, helping Kanter to craft not just the skillset he’ll need to actually make his post-basketball aspirations come true to the persona he’ll require to make it engaging.
Watch the documentary embedded above yourself to see if “Enes the Menace” has a future in the WWE, and if you think LeBron James will shudder — or chuckle — at the challenge laid down by Boston’s newest frontcourt player.
Even if you’re no fan of professional wrestling, the documentary is a surprisingly fun way to get to know a player who might already be the Celtics’ loudest voice, and a great way to stave off our rapidly-expanding lack of basketball to watch for good measure.
