Phoenix Suns broadcaster Eddie Johnson criticized ESPN men’s college basketball analyst Dick Vitale’s hot take on X about Caitlin Clark on Monday, July 13.
After Vitale said the Indiana Fever superstar deserves to be “treated like royalty” in the WNBA, Johnson reposted Vitale’s quote and responded that there’s “zero royalty” in games.
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Vitale heralded Clark, and added the X handles of ESPN anchor Kevin Negandhi, former Iowa sports broadcaster Ray Cole and USA TODAY Sports columnist and Clark biographer Christine Brennan to his quip.
“It is really sad the way Caitlin Clark is treated by many in the WNBA,” Vitale said. “She has been the leader for the league in many ways – PR (public relations) – TV interest etc. Come on, those that are critical – she deserves to be treated like ROYALTY!”
Johnson questioned Vitale’s history as the University of Detroit’s former coach, who had “physical players” on his team from 1973-77, before Vitale joined ESPN in 1979.
“Mr. Vitale, I love you, but didn’t you coach at the Univ of Detroit?,” Johnson said with a heart emoji. “You and I both know on a basketball court there is zero royalty. I remember the physical in-your-face players you had like John Long and Terry Tyler. Don’t do this, there are no friends between the lines. Zero!”
Since July 8, Vitale has reposted articles from Yahoo Sports, New York Post and USA TODAY Sports on X and posts from Cole and Brennan to support Clark.
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“Absolutely makes ‘No Sense’ that Caitlin Clark is targeted in such a negative manner by many of her peers,” Vitale said on July 8. “She should be treated like ROYALTY for what she has done for the WNBA!”
To back Brennan and Cole, Vitale called for WNBA commissioner Cathy Englebert to be fired from the fallout after the Phoenix Mercury’s Alyssa Thomas pushed her fist into the Fever superstar’s throat. That moment occurred when both players battled for a loose ball during the Mercury’s 111-109 win at Indiana on June 24.
No foul was called on Thomas, but she was handed a one-game suspension by the league after it reviewed the play.
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Clark is in her third season out of Iowa. She’s averaging 20.1 points and 7.8 assists, the league’s second-best behind Thomas (8.0), and is scheduled to play in the Chicago All-Star Game on July 25.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns analyst Eddie Johnson slams Dick Vitale’s Caitlin Clark hot take
