CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King upset many people recently with a comment she made about Caitlin Clark, and one former NBA star is still mad.
Stephen Jackson, who played for eight teams in his 14-season career, posted a one-minute video on X/Twitter Saturday blasting King for a comment she made to South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley.
South Carolina capped an undefeated season April 7 with a win over Clark and Iowa in the Women’s NCAA Tournament title game. Staley made a remote appearance last week on the CBS Mornings show, and King asked her about the game, mentioning, “We were all cheering for Iowa, of course, and Caitlin Clark …”
In an expletive-filled rant, Jackson ripped King.
“So, Gayle King’s supposed to be somebody that’s big in the journalism space, right? And I don’t consider her black media. Y’all give her all these passes because she’s Oprah’s friend. I don’t give a f*** whose friend she is.
“But you cannot demean Dawn Staley like that. You’re talking to her about winning the championship, about going undefeated. And you have the nerve to get on there and say, ‘We was rooting for Caitlin Clark and you broke everybody’s hearts.’ Who is we? All the black people I know was rooting for Dawn Staley. We’re all fans of Caitlin Clark, but the way you put it, that s*** was trash.
“I’m glad it’s a new day in the media space. … You don’t even say stuff like that to somebody on an interview. You demeaned her and made it about Caitlin Clark. That’s trash.”
Stephen Jackson calls out Gayle King after she admits to Dawn Staley that she was rooting for Caitlin Clark and Iowa over South Carolina. pic.twitter.com/b99aycOQUu
— The Art Of Dialogue (@ArtOfDialogue_) April 19, 2024
For those who missed King’s interview with Staley, here’s a look back.
“We were all cheering for Iowa, of course, and Caitlyn Clark…”
– @GayleKing to @dawnstaley
We who? pic.twitter.com/hRqipjYCVf
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) April 19, 2024
King’s comments to Staley were, if not inappropriate, a bit awkward. Try to imagine a post-Super Bowl interview in February with Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, and a reporter telling him, “We were all pulling for the 49ers.”
But Clark’s case is different. The former Iowa star has exploded interest in women’s basketball. Staley herself even said last week Clark is the “sole reason” for the increased interest. It’s not unreasonable to think that many people happy to see how she’s helped the sport might have enjoyed seeing Clark end her record-setting career with a championship.
About Arthur Weinstein
Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.