Caitlin Clark Is Experiencing What Michael Jordan Did in His Rookie Season, Claims NBA Analyst

Many basketball observers have a firm belief that Caitlin Clark is experiencing extreme adversity in the WNBA. The rookie’s Commissioner Cup encounter against Chicago has been grabbing a lot of eyeballs not because of the Fever’s victory, but because of the severe physicality the contest had. Now, the extent of the debate has reached a point where Clark’s current scenario is drawing comparisons to the hardships NBA legend Michael Jordan faced as a rookie.

Chris Broussard & Ephraim Salaam were the latest to break down the on-court antics between Caitlin Clark and Chennedy Carter using their Fox Sports Radio platform, The Odd Couple. Including Michael Jordan in the discussion, Broussard said, “Michael Jordan, it happened to him. How physical they were with him. Isaiah Thomas iced him out at the All-Star game. I get that.” While we haven’t gotten to that point yet for Clark, it certainly seems to be moving in that direction. But what did Thomas do to MJ then?

During the 1985 All-Star Weekend in Indiana, NBA stars, reportedly led by Thomas, decided to keep the ball away from the extremely popular Jordan, who was still in his rookie year, in a bid to embarrass him and send him a message that he was still behind the established names of the league. While this won’t be possible for Clark, as the WNBA doesn’t have an All-Star game during an Olympic year, Clark is kind of facing something similar as she is clearly the most popular name in the league currently.

Broussard then connected his discussion to what Matt Barnes said a few days back regarding the approach of Caitlin Clark’s teammates. Agreeing with the point that Barnes was trying to put forth, he went on and expressed that the roster should have stepped up and had Caitlin’s back.

Meanwhile, the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer continues to get support from the sporting fraternity. This time, she receives from a legendary tennis player.

Caitlin Clark receives support from uncharted waters

There is no denying that the extent of Caitlin Clark’s popularity has transcended beyond the shores of basketball. The fact that 18x Grand Slam winner Martina Navratilova decided to stand in her corner speaks volumes about her impact. In an X post, she wrote, “The players in the WNBA need to realize that (Caitlin) Clark is helping all of them, now and in the long run. (Caitlin) is the tide that will raise all boats.” 

She then laid her emphasis on the particular Carter-Clark incident and expressed that such actions are dirty and the players should focus more on winning the contest. She further added, “I never said she was a saint. “I was calling out a dirty play, which was also stupid. If you want to go after someone, do it from the front. That’s all. Better yet – block their shots and win the game – that’s the best revenge.” 

It seems that this discussion has no end. While some see it fitting to side with Caitlin Clark, others’ viewpoints appear to be contrasting. Nonetheless, she isn’t letting the noise affect her in any way and continues to grow her professional game.