Jamal Crawford on Caitlin Clark's WNBA treatment: 'The greats go through that'
As the NBA Finals get set to tip off, the majority of focus in the basketball world over the past week has been on the WNBA, particularly the early struggles of star Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark and the perception that she is being unfairly targeted in the professional ranks after a flagrant foul by the Chicago Sky's Chennedy Carter in a game Saturday.
The surge in popularity that Clark and several other prominent rookies, including Carter's Sky teammate Angel Reese, are bringing to the WNBA may come as a surprise to some. Longtime NBA player and current television analyst Jamal Crawford is not one of those people.
Crawford, who has coached youth basketball teams in his native Seattle area for the past several years, revealed to FOX Sports' Keyshawn Johnson on Johnson's latest podcast "All Facts No Brakes" that he has long enjoyed watching women's basketball both at the professional and college levels. He also believes that the Clark-Carter controversy is a net positive for the growth of the WNBA.
"It has everybody talking about the WNBA, and I'm enjoying watching the WNBA," Crawford said. "I don't think I watched one college [basketball] game in the men's side last year in the tournament — I watched the whole women's side."
Crawford said his reason for preferring the women's tournament, in which Clark led an underdog Iowa team back to the national title game for the second straight year before a loss to No. 1 overall seed South Carolina, was not just an aesthetic choice.
"I'm coaching kids, and the style they play is more conducive to what I'm trying to teach these young kids going forward," Crawford said.
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While many have taken sides and expressed various opinions on Clark's treatment in the WNBA, Crawford believes it is nothing more than the natural process that basketball superstars go through. Crawford recalled attempting to send a similar message to former Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy during his playing days. Roy was seen as a budding superstar at the time before his career was derailed due to injuries.
"I think any great's gonna go through that route," Crawford said. "When you're a rookie, and somebody sees you coming up late trying to stop that. … It's not a personal thing, but it's like a me thing. 'You're getting the light right now, and it's great for the league, but I'm gonna show you it's not gonna be easy.' You're gonna have to come and take it."
Crawford went on to say what Clark is dealing with is no different than what some of the NBA's greatest players endured during the early portions of their careers.
"[Michael] Jordan went through it. LeBron [James] went through it. Kobe [Bryant] went through it," Crawford said. "The greats go through that.
"But on the other side of that, it makes you better."
Clark is averaging 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game, but the Fever have struggled to a 2-9 record thus far in her first WNBA season.
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