Shannon Sharpe sparks race debate after criticizing Angel Reese for taunting Caitlin Clark

FS1 personality Shannon Sharpe has labeled the coverage of Angel Reese’s taunts as “not about anything but race” on Undisputed.

Sharpe also suggested that broadly there is an inherent racial bias in the nation’s thinking, saying “it’s funny how America sees black and white,” while pointing out the differing coverage of Reese’s and Clark’s gestures; both used John Cena’s diss “You can’t see me” during March Madness.

LSU’s Reese taunted Iowa star Clark in the final throes of the national title game, which the Tigers won comfortably.

Reese waved her hand in front of her face, an ode to John Cena’s WWE diss move — which Clark did during the Final Four vs. South Carolina.

Unlike Clark, Reese used the gesture repeatedly throughout the sequence, moving around the field in an attempt to goad Clark, as opposed to the Naismith Player of the Year’s one-off move in the previous game.

Reese continued and also pointed to her finger indicating her upcoming championship ring

The LSU Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament then tapped her ring finger to Clark, denoting her upcoming championship ring.

Despite the overt difference between the two actions, Sharpe simplified the criticism of Reese to be based fundamentally on racial prejudice.

“We see it two different ways…when Caitlin Clark did the John Cena it was considered “swag.” Angela Reese does the same gesture of being considered “classless.”

“It’s funny how America — society sees black and white.”

Sharpe conveyed his belief that the discrepancy in media and public response is related to Reese and black female student-athletes, who do not fit the typical image commonly seen in NCAA women’s sports. The transfer to Maryland spoke to such rhetoric at her post-game press conference.

“Angel Reese said ‘unashamedly me’, she meant unashamedly black… it’s so obvious what this is. This is not about anything other than race.

“One is a feast and is celebrated. The other is convicted. And why? Only because a black woman did exactly the same gesture as a white woman 48 hours earlier.

Trash talk is part of the game. But white trash talk and black trash talk are viewed very differently and we know why.’

Clark used John Cena’s “You Can’t See Me” gesture against South Carolina during the Final Four win

LSU captured its first-ever national title in program history with a 102-85 win vs. the Hawkeyes

ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith followed similar rhetoric to Sharpe Take firstsuggesting that the backlash against Reese’s actions and lack thereof is a “white-black problem” for Clark.

“We all know there’s a white-black issue here because the fact of the matter is when Caitlin did it, people celebrated. And they talked about nothing but her greatness.

“But once a sister stepped forward and threw it back in her face, you now have half the basketball world saying, ‘You know what, that’s not the classiest thing to do.’

‘[Clark] fueled this a bit and the fact that it wasn’t brought up tells us a lot about our society as a whole. You know exactly what you’re doing as people when you want to talk about how Angel Reese acted, but you don’t want to talk about how Caitlin Clark acted. That’s the inconsistency. That’s the story.’

LSU alum Shaquille O’Neal took issue with longtime CNN sports and political commentator Keith Olbermann, who labeled Angela Reese a “f****** idiot” on Twitter Sunday night.

NBA legend O’Neal responded to Olbermann’s tweet with language as powerful as his dunks in the late 1990s.

“Shut up, leave Angel Reese alone,” The Big Aristotle tweeted.

LSU and NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal and commentator Keith Olbermann had differing opinions

O’Neal objected to former CNN and MSNBC man labeling Reese a “f****** idiot”