Much has been made of the incident between the Chicago Sky's Chennedy Carter and the Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark , in which the former left the latter sprawled on the ground with a cheap shot before an inbound pass. The play occurred last Saturday, but to this day, talking heads remain divided about the nuances of such a play.
However, for former NBA head coach Mark Jackson , the brutal hit that Caitlin, the Indiana Fever's first overall pick and the WNBA's golden goose at the moment, received was nothing but part of the process highly-touted rookies must go through to earn their stripes at this level.
It's pro basketball
As dominant as the former Iowa Hawkeye legend was in the NCAA, where she broke nearly every scoring record, she's still learning the ropes in the WNBA. The lessons, though, have come fast and furious, sometimes in the most painful ways. The former All-Star point guard asserted that all that is just pro basketball.
"It's pro basketball; they're competing. What do you want to throw out, roll out the red carpet, and invite her in?" the former St. John's ace said on his podcast.
Jackson added that it's not only Caitlin going through this baptism of fire but also her fellow rookies, like Angel Reese, who was slammed to the ground by Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas during a rebound battle.
"This is basketball. And guess what? Angel Reese stood at the podium and said, 'I expect it. AT is my friend. I expect her to battle and compete and fight and scratch and claw and be physical, and I got nothing but respect. It's part of the game,'" Jackson shared.
All great players go through this
Before shifting to coaching and, later on, broadcasting, Jackson enjoyed a long 17-year career playing for the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers. Drafted in 1987, the 6'1" guard often crossed paths with Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan and saw how "His Airness" battled through all the physicality thrown at him.
Jackson revealed that opposing teams were so hellbent on stopping Jordan that they imposed fines on players who didn't foul him hard as he made his way to the rim.
"Michael Jordan had the Jordan Rules. He was getting hammered. You were fined as an opponent if you allowed him to fly through the air with his tongue out. You hammered him. You hit him," the 1988 Rookie of the Year bared. "So you name the great players, the all-time greats, you have to have a solution to try to beat them up, make them uncomfortable, and Caitlin Clark is no exception to the rules."
Her teammates have to respond
Another point "Action Jackson" made was that Caitlin's Fever teammates must step up and protect her when opponents try to bully her. As the footage of the incident clearly showed, nobody dared challenge Chennedy after she bumped Caitlin to the ground, something that Draymond Green and Matt Barnes alluded to in their respective comments regarding the play.
"Somebody's got to react and respond, and I agree 100%. And I will go so far as to say the coach has to be better. The general manager needs to put pressure on the league and the rest of the league to protect their superstar player," Jackson stated.
The former Golden State Warriors coach cited the Indiana Pacers' case. The Pacers signed known enforcer and karate black belt-wielding James Johnson immediately after the brouhaha between the Pacers and the Milwaukee Bucks. The 36-year-old played in only nine games, totaling 47 minutes, but the Pacers kept him to watch his teammates' backs all season.
Related: "She's also being targeted" – UConn coach Geno Auriemma stands up for Caitlin Clark
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