Caitlin Clark is one of the biggest things in all of basketball these days. She’s even getting name-dropped during NBA broadcasts.
Granted, Atlanta Hawks announcer Bob Rathbun wasn’t exactly complimentary of Clark when he mentioned her during tonight’s game against the Boston Celtics.
Rather, Rathbun cracked a joke at Clark’s expense when he said Boston star Jayson Tatum’s frequent protesting to officials was reminiscent of the Iowa superstar.
“Boy, Jason Tatum does a lot of complaining. Who does he think he is, Caitlin Clark?” Rathbun said. “Caitlin Clark was complaining so much, her dad got on her.”
“Boy, Jason Tatum does a lot of complaining. Who does he think he is, Caitlin Clark?” – Bob Rathbun pic.twitter.com/C3UO9PdXUg
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 26, 2024
Now, what Rathburn said was not inaccurate. Clark’s father Brent could be seen yelling at his daughter to stop showing her frustrations with officials during the Hawkeyes’ first round NCAA Tournament win over Holy Cross on Saturday.
“He was probably agreeing with me, you know him,” Clark joked about her dad postgame. “He definitely tells me to calm down sometimes. The best thing about my dad, he’s the most chill person. But when he played (college basketball), he was the same fiery, competitive person like I am. I love him to death. He’s always been my biggest fan.
“I think he knows how I’m wired more than anybody. … I think it shows what camera angles can do sometimes. They kind of create their own story.”
Tatum and the Celtics had a bad night on Monday, blowing a 30-point lead and losing 120-118 down in Atlanta.
Meanwhile, Clark and top-seeded Iowa are clinging to a lead late in the fourth quarter against No. 8 seed West Virginia on ESPN.