"They're gonna occasionally misstep" - Adam Silver breaks silence on Pat McAfee's 'white b*tch' remarks on Caitlin Clark

Modified Jun 07, 2024 02:07 GMT

NBA commissioner Adam Silver has broken his silence regarding Pat McAfee's "white b*tch" remarks directed toward Caitlin Clark. Silver doesn't want to make it an issue anymore since McAfee has apologized to the Indiana Fever superstar, who accepted it.

In a press conference ahead of Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, Silver answered questions from the media. One of the questions was about McAfee's comments on Clark in an episode of his show on ESPN, wherein he described the Fever guard as a "white b*tch."

"He apologized and I accept that. I think that the way media works these days when people are online for hours, they're gonna occasionally misstep. And I think what's important is the context, their intention and sort of what they're willing to say about having done that. I leave it to ESPN to make their own personnel decisions about what the consequences of things like that but I accept sort of in a free society where there is a lot of conversation, a lot of dialogue," Silver said.

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Pat McAfee was in hot water recently for his comments about Caitlin Clark, although leading up to the "white b*tch" remark, he had nothing but good things to say about the Iowa product. McAfee made a public apology later and personally called Clark to say sorry, which she accepted.

Prior to McAfee's comments, Clark was a guest on "The Pat McAfee Show" and the two seemingly hit it off. The current ESPN analyst and host is a regular at Indiana Fever home games, showing his support for the team.

McAfee played his entire NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts, so he has an attachment to the city. He's also a regular in Indiana Pacers games and maintains his home and work studio there.

Adam Silver comments on hard foul issue with Caitlin Clark

Another issue that Adam Silver tackled was the hard foul on Caitlin Clark earlier this month. There's a debate going on wherein one side says it's just competition, while others think it's excessive and should not be allowed in the WNBA.

Silver called it Clark's "Welcome to the League" moment although he also wanted everyone to treat her fairly. The WNBA is an all-time high in terms of news, popularity and more, so they need to keep things at a positive.

"It's nothing new in basketball, that there are welcome to the league moments. Especially for heralded rookies. But of course, I want to see Caitlin treated fairly and appropriately in the league. It seems like she can take care of herself, she's a tough player," Silver said. [H/T Bleacher Report]

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