Credits: USA TODAY Sports

Caitlin Clark became the center of attention during the ESPYS 2024. It circled the host Serena Williams’ hilarious remarks while acknowledging the year-long endeavors of the youngster. This caught the attention of the basketball community while sparking discussions all around.

Williams initially lauded the Indiana Fever rookie while introducing her to the audience. Following this, she likened Clark to NBA legend Larry Bird, stating,

“Caitlin Clark had an amazing year and is nominated for three awards. Caitlin, you are the Larry Bird in that you are an amazing player, you have ties to Indiana, and white people are really crazy about you”.

#ESPYS24 host Serena Williams name dropping Caitlin Clark in her intro

“You are the Larry Bird in that you are an amazing player, you have ties to Indiana, and white people are really crazy about you” 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/Hz1nmFpfYF

— Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) July 12, 2024

On the one hand, the tennis icon’s words aptly recognized the remarkable rise of the Iowa-born. On the other hand, her statement captured Clark’s potential. After all, a direct comparison with a player of Bird’s stature pointed precisely toward this.

Soon enough, Clark justified Williams’ words by living up to her potential. Out of the three nominations, the Fever star retained her Best Women’s College Athlete award while securing the Best Record-breaking Performance accolade for the first time. Even though she lost the Best Women’s Athlete award to her WNBA colleague, A’ja Wilson, a nomination in this category at 22 years of age highlighted her excellence.

This sparked conversations over Clark’s future while extending the lasting narrative of her capabilities.

Magic Johnson also showcased faith in Caitlin Clark

After Clark and her nemesis, Angel Reese, took the WNBA by storm, the basketball fanatics couldn’t help but applaud their endeavors. One such instance occurred last month when Magic Johnson joined the trend. He coined a similar analogy on X (formerly Twitter), stating,
“Larry and I heightened the NBA’s overall popularity. The Lakers and Celtics sold out arenas throughout the league and increased television viewership exponentially. The higher viewership numbers led to the NBA signing significantly larger TV contracts which then led to higher salaries for the players.”
“Caitlin and Angel are now doing the same thing, selling out arenas and increasing the viewership. They have taken women’s basketball by storm and with expiring TV deals on the horizon, the WNBA is now in a position to negotiate higher TV contracts and increase salaries for all of the talented players”.

Larry and I heightened the NBA’s overall popularity. The Lakers and Celtics sold out arenas throughout the league and increased television viewership exponentially. The higher viewership numbers led to the NBA signing significantly larger TV contracts which then led to higher…

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 24, 2024

Considering the rapid change in the WNBA landscape since the rookies’ arrival, his comments seemed valid. The lasting rivalry between Reese and Clark has been key to the recent developments around the league. This outlined their potential while increasing the pressure on their shoulders.

Having said that, both are aiming to thrive under these expectations, making them worthy successors of Magic and Bird’s legacies.