Enes Kanter Watched 'SpongeBob', 'Jersey Shore' to Help Learn English

New York Knicks center Enes Kanter learned to speak English through some unique avenues when he first came to the United States in 2010. 

In an interview with CBS Local on Tuesday, Kanter discussed some of the shows he watched to sharpen his English-speaking skills:

"[SpongeBob SquarePants] is my favorite," Kanter said. "That cartoon was actually where I got my English most. In college, I couldn't play; I was just sitting down and watching two shows: SpongeBob and Jersey Shore. Because you have to learn the street language, not the normal language."

Kanter was born in Switzerland and grew up in Turkey before committing to play college basketball at the University of Kentucky.

After arriving in the United States, Kanter was ruled ineligible, and he never played a game for the Wildcats.

Even so, Kanter was selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft.

During his seven-year NBA career, the 26-year-old Kanter has spent time with the Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder and Knicks.

In his debut season with the Knicks in 2017-18, Kanter averaged 14.1 points and 11.0 rebounds per game.

He has developed into one of the NBA's most outspoken players in the process, and he has both SpongeBob and Snooki to thank for that.