Caitlin Clark accused of ruining NBA All-Star | NBA News

WNBA icon Caitlin Clark has confronted criticism for allegedly ‘ruining’ the NBA All-Star Weekend after she turned down an invitation to hitch the three-point contest. The NBA All-Star Game and its surrounding occasions have been mired in controversy of late, with the Slam Dunk Contest notably missing massive names, a far cry from the times of Michael Jordan and Vince Carter.

Last yr’s spotlight was the three-point face-off between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, however this yr Tyler Herro walked away with the trophy regardless of Curry’s superior capturing stats. The All-Star Game itself can also be beneath scrutiny, mirroring the NFL’s Pro Bowl with prime gamers bowing out and a common lack of aggressive edge to forestall accidents during the showcase match.

FOX Sports Radio host Rob Parker did not maintain back, pointing the finger squarely at Indiana Fever’s Clark for the All-Star Game’s woes: “There’s one person and one person only who has ruined NBA All-Star Weekend – and that’s Caitlin Clark,” Parker declared.

“Caitlin Clark has ruined NBA All-Star Weekend. They invited her to be involved in the shooting contest with Steph. Right? And they were gonna make this nice thing go, and give people something to watch.”

Parker has sparked a debate along with his newest tackle the NBA All-Star Weekend, asserting: “She is television ratings gold, right? Everything she’s in, people are watching. That would have been the only reason to watch any of the festivities this weekend. They got a no-name Slam Dunk Contest. They got four All-Star teams with people who aren’t even All-Stars playing. The younger people, the people they picked up off the street, the old veterans, the international players.”

Although Parker highlights some legitimate factors, his conclusion, which suggests Clark and the WNBA owe it to the NBA to bolster its occasion, misses the mark. Notably, Clark has acknowledged her intent to debut her three-point contest look on the WNBA All-Star Weekend as a substitute, aiming to raise the profile of her league.

His co-host Kelvin Washington sharply countered Parker’s opinion, emphasizing: “We came back from New Orleans, we came back from Super Bowl week, and you just, I mean, you said ‘There’s no more football. So let me just be the thing. Let me just start with the outlandishness,’ Rob Parker.”

Washington continued his critique by refocusing consideration on the first attraction of the occasion: “Caitlin Clark is at home minding her own business and she has to be the sole reason for you to watch the NBA All-Star Weekend? Let’s start with this. How about the NBA players make the All-Star Weekend something to watch.”

Washington has criticised the dearth of participation from NBA heavyweights like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Curry within the All-Star Game festivities, saying: “How ’bout for the last 56 years, they made it something that we couldn’t wait to see. The Dunk Contest, the Three-Point Contest. And you’re telling her she should have to do it?

“The NBA did not even make LeBron do a Dunk Contest for the final 15 years. You know what they did not do? Make Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, and all of the best three-point shooters do it yearly.”

He continued his rant by pointing out absentees from the slam dunk spectacle: “They do not make their own best take part. You haven’t seen Zion Williamson in an NBA Dunk Contest but. Oh, let me keep going. You have not seen Anthony Edwards. Oh, let me keep going. You have not seen Ja Morant in a Dunk Contest. But Caitlin Clark – in one other league – has to all of a sudden come over right here and be Superwoman and reserve it?”.

This article initially appeared on Mirror US