There are a significant number of people who believe that Caitlin Clark’s exclusion from the Olympics roster was unjust. One of the staunch ones is ESPN analyst and sports journalist Stephen A Smith. The 56-year-old has been rigorous in his approach while advocating for Clark’s Olympics contention. However, his views differed from a basketball standpoint and were more directed towards the marketing boost that the 6-foot-guard is capable of generating. While these views differ from what some of his colleagues like Monica McNutt are saying, Smith has again backed his claim.

In the latest episode of his podcast, he reiterated his earlier narrative about the whole Caitlin Clark Olympics scenario. “Whether it is the WNBA, the NBA, or any other business, they don’t make decisions based strictly on the purity of the sport and the meritocracy of the competition. They also take marketing into consideration,” he said on The Stephen A. Smith Show.

Not so long ago, the American sports television personality opined that USA Basketball’s decision to leave out Caitlin Clark from the Olympic squad was an “idiotic decision.” Anyhow, he didn’t question the qualifications of those making the current team and justified his comments by stating that Caitlin Clark has the ability to grab more eyeballs for the sport. He further stuck to this point and added, “Marketing always plays a role. It’s all about establishing and understanding this is what is going on.”

Meanwhile, Smith’s thoughts weren’t limited here as he also addressed fellow analyst Monica McNutt and the others.

Stephen A. Smith evaluates Monica McNutt’s stance on Caitlin Clark

Earlier, NY Knicks Radio analyst Monica McNutt defended the USA’s Decision regarding its team selection for the Olympics at The Daily Show. Circling to that, Smith responded to her along with some other names who also followed the same chain of thought and provided his unapologetic take to their comments.

He expressed, “In all fairness to Monica McNutt, Chiney Ogwumike, Andrea Carter, and others, I’ve had male Hall Of Famers call me and argue with me about how right they are. They’ve said respectfully that they love Caitlin Clark. We think she’s a superstar. We wish nothing but the best for her. But when you’re competing against her, you try to destroy her every chance you get. When you get on the court with her, you try to be better than her in every category.” 

The debate continues to gain traction. Not only the fans, but these popular followers also seem to be divided and are standing firm to their respective opinions. It will be interesting to see what other developments are headed towards this particular subject.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.