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If there is someone who can relate to what Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark went through in her rookie season in the WNBA, it is Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
James, like Clark, was hyped as “The Chosen One” when he entered the NBA in 2003 as the consensus No. 1 pick. So, he has first-hand experience of what it’s like to be in Clark’s shoes.
“I have a great deal of respect for Caitlin Clark because I know exactly what it means to be drafted, be the face of a franchise, and also get the scrutiny from a lot of people that don’t believe you’re ready for the next jump, don’t believe you’re ready for the big leagues, and just don’t think that you belong,” James told Esquire on September 26. “And I remember that when I came into the league at eighteen years old, how many people doubted me and hoped and prayed that I’d fail.”
Like Clark’s complicated and awkward relationship with her WNBA peers, James also experienced jealousy around the NBA, even from his Cleveland Cavaliers teammates, when he was a rookie.
“And so, me watching Caitlin and seeing what she’s doing, I’ve been in support of her since Day 1 because I remember myself going through that, and she has my support 100 percent,” James added. “She’s a transcendent player. And obviously we all saw that at Iowa, and I knew that it would translate to the big leagues. And she’s an unbelievable talent. It’s great to watch.”
Following a rough 1-8 start to his WNBA career, Clark finished strong. She led the Fever to a 20-20 finish and the No. 6 seed in the playoffs, which James failed to do with the Cavaliers in his rookie season.
Charles Barkley’s Strong Comments on Caitlin Clark Hate
On September 4, NBA Hall of Fame Charles Barkley ranted about the perceived jealousy of Clark’s peers in WNBA.
“These ladies, and I’m a WNBA fan, they could not have f—ed this Caitlin Clark thing up even worse if they tried,” Barkley said on the “Bill Simmons” podcast.
Clark broke multiple league records in her rookie season.
Clark had the most assists for a rookie, dishing out 337. She also broke the single-game record for assists with 19. She also became the first rookie to record a triple-double and hit the most 3-pointers with 122, which is the second-most in any WNBA season by a player.
According to ESPN, Clark’s 337 points were also the most points by any point guard in a single WNBA season. She was also the first WNBA rookie to be named Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month in the same month and to produce 20+ points, 15+ assists and 5+ rebounds in a game.
Clark finished fourth in MVP voting and was the unanimous choice as the Associated Press WNBA Rookie of the Year. She is also the frontrunner to win the league’s official ROY award.
“This girl is incredible,” Barkley said of Clark. “The number of attention, eyeballs, she’s brought to college and the pros, and for these women to have this petty jealousness. You’re saying to yourself, ‘Damn, what is going on here?'”
Caitlin Clark is WNBA’s Biggest Draw
Clark’s final game of the season — a 25-point, 9-assist, 6-rebound performance — in an 87-81 loss to the Connecticut Sun in Game 2 of their WNBA playoff series drew a record 2.5 million viewers, per The Athletic’s Richard Deistch.
“That’s the most-watched WNBA postseason game ever across ESPN platforms. Per Sports Media Watch: It is the most-watched postseason game outside of the WNBA Finals since Game 2 of the Los Angeles Sparks-Houston Comets 1999 Western Conference Final (2.62M). The viewership follows Sunday’s Sun-Fever Game 1 on ABC which drew 1.84 million viewers against the NFL. That game, per Sports Media Watch, was the most-watched WNBA playoff game since 2003,” Deitsch wrote.
In the regular season, Fever games have attracted an average of 16,084 attendance per game while non-Fever games only drew 8,552 per game, a stark 88% difference, according to Associated Press’ Tim Reynolds.
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