LeBron James defends Caitlin Clark and her WNBA impact, compares her critics to Bronny’s

Caitlin Clark is not having the same success in her WNBA career with the Indiana Fever thus far as she had over the past few women’s college basketball seasons with Iowa. While Clark is averaging a solid 17 points per game, her overall peformance over her first four professional contests has been mixed. However, Clark and the rest of the league’s hotly anticipated crop of rookies are still bringing unprecedented viewership and popularity to the WNBA.

That has also come with some criticism, with some in and around the league voicing resentment or wanting to diminish the fact that Clark is driving this popularity instead of stars like two-time defending MVP A’ja Wilson. But LeBron James, who knows a thing or two about being the face of a basketball league, took aim at Clark’s critics during the most recent episode of his podcast, “Mind The Game,” with J.J. Redick.

“Don’t get it twisted, don’t get it f—ed up,” James said. “Caitlin Clark is the reason why a lot of great things are gonna happen for the WNBA. But for her individually, I don’t think she should get involved on [anything] that’s being said, just go have fun, enjoy. I’m rooting for Caitlin because I’ve been in that seat before, I’ve walked that road before. I hope she kills, I hope [Fever teammate] Aliyah Boston does amazing. I hope they do great.”

James also compared the scrutiny that the 22-year-old Clark is under to the spotlight currently shining on his 19-year-old son, Bronny James, who is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. Bronny does not profile as the top overall prospect in the draft, but is the most bet to to No. 1 overall amid reports that LeBron would join whichever team Bronny goes to in order to live out his stated dream of playing on the same NBA team as his son.

“He’s just a kid trying to live out his dream,” LeBron said of his son. “There’s a very small number of men and women that actually get to live out their dream of playing a professional sport. And we have grown a– men and women doing whatever they can to try to make sure that does not happen. That is the weirdest thing in the world, but it is what it is, and I’m glad that Caitlin has a great head on her shoulders.”

James and Redick also shared a brief chuckle over the rampant rumors that the latter is the favorite to the the former’s next head coach with the Los Angeles Lakers, with the two laughing after Redick alluded to the rumors by talking about “other things happening in the NBA World, non-playoff related,” that he thinks are being “used for content.” Redick currently holds the shortest betting odds to be named the next Lakers head coach.