Paul Pierce faced criticism for comments he made praising Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark’s performance against LSU in the NCAA tournament.
Pierce, who is Black, noted his surprise and respect that “a white girl in Iowa” defeated “a bunch of Black girls” from LSU.
“That made it like, ‘Oh, that gained my respect,’” Pierce said. “That gained my respect.”
“That’s like, ‘Oh, she didn’t do this to some other little white girls that was over here in Colorado or wherever,’” Pierce said. “She did it to some girls from LSU that we thought was some dawgs.”
“Defending champs,” the co-host said.
“Defending champs, and put ’em on her knee, and spanked them,” Pierce said.
While Pierce likely intended it as a compliment, his reference to race drew accusations of insensitivity.
Basketball culture has traditionally included joking references to skin color without malice, such as the movie “White Men Can’t Jump.”
Pierce grew up in an era where players noticed racial makeup on teams but it didn’t carry the same implications.
However, today’s climate emphasizes perceived slights and moralizing over intent.
While Pierce’s message was not meant to be disparaging, today’s environment makes discussing race more fraught, even in cases where no offense is meant regarding differences that historically meant little in sports meritocracies.
