LeBron James Addresses the Rise of Women’s Basketball

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, talked about Caitlin Clark and how women’s basketball has gained popularity.

https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/1775584268783083599

Players Are Key

James said that the players are the key to fans watching. He said that women’s basketball players have always played the game the way it is supposed to be played.

The Biggest Stage Builds Legacies

He said the Final Four and the Elite Eight are as good as they are in women’s basketball because players can build legacies at the schools they are playing at. Those are the moments that define the legacies of the participating players.

Caitlin Clark Takes the Spotlight

Iowa women’s basketball has reached the Final Four for the second straight year. After losing to LSU for the national championship, they are looking to get redemption this year. LeBron James highlighted that while they have a great team, Caitlin Clark is driving in the viewers to watch the games.

Icons Drive Popularity

James said in collegiate basketball, there is not much difference in how the men and women play. The icons of the women’s game are what he thinks makes women’s basketball so popular. He reiterated that both the men and women play college basketball the way it is supposed to be played.

Difference Between Men’s and Women’s Basketball

While James has been saying there are not many differences between men’s and women’s basketball, he did say how men can declare for the NBA Draft earlier than women can declare for the WNBA draft.

He highlighted Juju Watkins, a freshman guard at USC. She averaged 27.1 points per game to lead USC to the Elite Eight. James said that since she had a good season, she could have thought about declaring for the WNBA Draft. However, since she could not declare early, she has to stay at school.

He said this was a difference between men’s and women’s basketball because men’s players can declare after their freshman season.