Kanter: Logo kiss in rare appearance showed 'my love' to Knicks fans

With the Feb. 7 trade deadline on the horizon and his playing time increasingly rare, Enes Kanter appreciated his appearance in the New York Knicks' home game against the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night.

When the towering Turk checked into the contest at the 5:24 mark of the third quarter, he bent to one knee and kissed the Knicks logo at center court.

The flamboyant big man, who'd played just 19 total minutes - all in one appearance - over the eight previous games, said his gesture was a tribute to the Knicks faithful.

"I just wanted to show my love," Kanter said after the game, according to ESPN's Ian Begley. "Obviously, on the court and off the court I've been having a very rough time the last three weeks with Turkey issues and basketball issues. The support that they are showing just meant a lot to me. I wanted to give back a little kiss to them."

Young big men Mitchell Robinson and Luke Kornet are being prioritized in Knicks coach David Fizdale's rotation these days. So, with Kanter's contract expiring at the end of this season, he could be traded to a team in need of rebounding.

With that in mind, Kanter said he was delighted to potentially say goodbye with the kiss.

"I was planning this for a long time. I was just waiting to get back in," Kanter said. "You never know how long I'm going to play here. I was so happy I got in, just to show the fans some love for maybe, I don't know, one last time. I have no idea."

Kanter ended up playing nine minutes against Dallas, recording five points, two rebounds and one assist in New York's 114-90 loss.