Jamal Crawford talks Caitlin Clark on the "All Facts No Brakes with Keyshawn Johnson" podcast. Screengrab: ‘All Facts No Brakes with Keyshawn Johnson’

Everyone in sports media is discussing the media coverage surrounding Caitlin Clark.

That includes Jamal Crawford, who Awful Announcing recently highlighted as one of the industry’s rising stars and the breakout broadcaster of this year’s NBA playoffs.

While appearing on Keyshawn Johnson’s show, All Facts No Brakes, Crawford downplayed the negativity surrounding Caitlin Clark’s welcome to the WNBA. Crawford compared it to a rite of passage, suggesting that great players inevitably face criticism and challenges early in their careers. He even used Johnson himself as an example.

“When you’re a rookie and somebody sees you coming up, they trying to stop that,” Crawford said. “Just like we talked about with the B-Roy situation. Like, I saw he was coming up. It’s not a personal thing, but it’s like a me thing. ‘I’m gonna show you. You’re getting all the light right now, and it’s great for the league, but I’m gonna show you it’s not gonna be easy. You’re gonna have to earn it and come take it.’

“Jordan went through it. LeBron went through it. Kobe went through it. Like, the greats go through it. But on the other side of that, it makes you better.”

Earlier in the podcast, when Keyshawn Johnson Jr. brought up Brandon Roy, Crawford spoke fondly of their relationship. He described their training sessions as friendly battles, pushing each other to be better. Crawford saw Roy’s immense talent and, like a lead singer in a band, felt a responsibility to keep him sharp. He believed in Roy’s potential and aimed to refine his skills.

However, unlike the current situation with Clark, their competitive spirit wasn’t about one-upmanship. It was about mutual growth. Crawford’s focus was on Roy’s improvement, not humbling him. That’s where that comparison ultimately differs, but there’s some merit to understanding the nuances of how young stars are perceived by their counterparts upon entering the league.

Shifting gears to the WNBA as a whole, Crawford offered his perspective as a coach and someone who enjoys following women’s basketball.

“I think it has everybody talking about the W, and I enjoy watching the W,” he said. “I don’t think I watched one college game on the men’s side last year in the tournament. I watched the women’s side because I’m coaching kids, and the style they play is more conducive about what I’m trying to teach these young kids going forward.”

[All Facts No Brakes with Keyshawn Johnson]

About Sam Neumann

Since the beginning of 2023, Sam has been a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. A 2021 graduate of Temple University, Sam is a Charlotte native, who currently calls Greenville, South Carolina his home. He also has a love/hate relationship with the New York Mets and Jets.