TNT broadcaster Charles Barkley is taking heat for blasting WNBA players and others for attacking Caitlin Clark and says they have been acting “petty” toward the former Iowa college star.
“Ya’all petty, man,” Barkley said during TNT’s pregame show before Game 1 of the Timberwolves-Mavericks Western Conference finals series on Wednesday, the New York Post reported.
“You women out there, y’all petty, man… Y’all should be thanking that girl [Clark] for getting y’all ass private charters,” Barkley said on the air. “All the money and visibility she’s bringing to the WNBA, don’t be petty like dudes. Listen, what she’s accomplished, give her her flowers.”
Several WNBA players, including Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, Liberty player Jonquel Jones, former Sparks player Chiney Ogwumike, and Aces player A’ja Wilson, have all attacked Clark. And Barkley’s comments set some of these players off against the former NBA great.
Hamby, for one, wrote, “Seriously…. wtf are you talking about”?
Jones, who apparently is not paying attention to the news, even denied anyone was attacking Clark.
Other WNBA players agreed. But they all seem to be in opposition to LeBron James’ position that Clark is under attack.
As Barkley noted in his comments, James has also spoken out against those attacking Clark.
James mentioned Clark during an interview on JJ Redick’s “Mind the Game” podcast.
“I’m just kind of in this mode right now because I’m getting the same, you know, thing from watching my son [Bronny James], who is a 19-year-old [going through the NBA draft process] kind of getting a lot of animosity and hatred towards him when he’s just a kid trying to live out his dream,” James said. “There’s a very small number of men and women that actually get to live out their dream of playing a professional sport.”
“And we have grown ass men and women out here doing whatever they can to try to make sure that does not happen. That is the weirdest thing in the world, but it is what it is. And I’m glad that Caitlin has a great head on her shoulders.”
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