LeBron James defends Caitlin Clark, calls out haters

There’s no denying that when it comes to individual accomplishments, not many women’s basketball players are in the same league as Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark. Winning a multitude of back-to-back National Player of the Year awards after becoming the all-time leading scorer in men’s and women’s college basketball this season to go along with her laundry list of awards, records, and accolades.

But Clark’s meteoric rise to prominence hasn’t always come with praise, facing her fair share of negativity throughout the peak of her career as many other all-time great athletes have.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James is also no stranger to negativity, and during Clark and Iowa’s national championship game against South Carolina on Sunday, he came to the defense of the Hawkeye’s star. Addressing her haters amid Clark’s legacy-defining game.

If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!! Stay far away from them people!! PLEASE

— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 7, 2024

“If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!! Stay far away from them people!! PLEASE,” James tweeted on Sunday.

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Clark has helped elevate the women’s game of basketball and increase the overall viewership and dialogue of the sport as a whole. With a lot of the conversation lately surrounding Clark’s overall legacy hinging on the result of her national championship game versus the Gamecocks, with some believing she’s already the greatest women’s basketball player of all time and others feeling like she needs to win a national title to enter that conversation. A topic that names like Rebecca Lobo, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, and many others in the basketball space and beyond have discussed.

But outside of friendly basketball legacy debates, Clark has also been surrounded by some doubt regarding her game translating to the next level after she declared for the WNBA Draft in February. With former WNBA star Diana Taurasi giving her two cents on the matter along with a warning to Clark and other incoming rookies following Iowa’s Final Four over UConn.

“Reality is coming. There’s levels to this thing,” Taurasi said to ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt. “And that’s just life, we all went through it. You see it on the NBA side and you’re going to see it on this side where you look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds. But you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.”

“Not saying it’s not going to translate,” Taurasi clarified. “Because when you’re great at what you do you’re just going to get better, but there is going to be a transition period when you have to give some grace as a rookie. It may take a little bit longer for some people.”

Additionally, former Kansas basketball legend Lynette Woodard recently spoke out at the WBCA Convention about Clark breaking the all-time scoring record. A record that Woodward previously held when playing for the Jayhawks before the NCAA in the AIAW era of women’s basketball, denouncing that Clark has broken her record.

“I am the hidden figure but no longer now,” Woodard said. “My record was hidden from everyone for 43 years. I don’t think, I’ll just go ahead and get the elephant out of the room. I don’t think my record has been broken because you can’t duplicate what you’re not duplicating.”

The basketball landscape as a whole always comes with controversial opinions and hot takes. And for the very best players like Clark and James, it comes with some haters as well. As the King made it clear that he’s in Clark’s corner while she looks to check off the biggest box and goal in her career versus South Carolina.