LeBron James Facing Backlash for Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Decision
LeBron James Facing Backlash for Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese Decision originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese dominated headlines during the 2024 WNBA season. Meeting consecutive years in the NCAA Tournament, these two had extensive collegiate history before ever facing off at the professional level.
Advertisement
In 2023, Reese's LSU Tigers defeated Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes in the National Championship Game. Reese infamously mocked Clark with the "you can't see me" gesture, which ignited weeks of media coverage.
One year later, Clark and the Hawkeyes prevailed in the Albany 2 Regional Final, defeating Reese and the Tigers 94-87. While Clark and Reese play different positions, and possess very different play-styles, the two have been compared since college.
LSU forward Angel Reese (10) and Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark (22)© Zach Boyden-Holmes / USA TODAY NETWORK
Both Clark and Reese delivered standout performances over the weekend. Returning from a five-game injury absence on Saturday, Clark poured in 32 points, eight rebounds and nine assists to defeat the previously undefeated New York Liberty.
Advertisement
This performance had the basketball world buzzing, including Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, who sent her a message on X.
One day later, Reese recorded her first WNBA triple-double in a win over the Connecticut Sun. Tallying 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists, Reese joined Clark as the only two WNBA players to record a triple-double this season.
What caught the attention of fans, was James choosing to shoutout Clark, but remaining silent after Reese's performance. One fan called him out in a post that has tallied over 100,000 views on X.
Several fans in the comments shared their disappointment with James not spotlighting both players.
Advertisement
"He should stay on that side," said one.
"CLOCK IT!!!!" one exclaimed.
"LeBum for a reason. MJ the GOAT," said another.
"He's never spoken on ar," one pointed out. "He never will. I'm glad he hasn't. She doesn't need it."
Several other posts also called out James for not acknowledging Reese.
"Oh they can never make like that man," said one.
"He only does that for the media darling," one added. "I'll be so glad when he retires from my Lakers. He's passive aggressive, petty and just needs to go home so we can build around Luka and move forward. Congratulations Angel and SkyTown 🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵"
While James' decision to post about Clark but not Reese has been a topic of discussion, not every fan interpreted it as disrespectful. Many pointed out that despite Reese's impressive triple-double, she went just 2-for-7 from the field, and did so against a poor Sun team.
Advertisement
Assuming health for both players, WNBA fans will see Clark and Reese face off again on July 27 in Chicago.
Related: Angel Reese Facing Punishment After Chicago Sky Game on Sunday
Related: Angel Reese's 1.7 Million Lead Over Caitlin Clark Turns Heads
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
"Michael, I love you, but I'm glad to see you go" - Scottie Pippen described getting Michael Jordan's locker in 1993 as his greatest promotion
"Michael, I love you, but I'm glad to see you go" - Scottie Pippen described getting Michael Jordan's locker in 1993 as his greatest promotion originally appeared on Basketball Network. When Michael Jordan retired in 1993, everyone saw Scottie Pippen as the Chicago Bulls' new No.1 guy. But Pippen wanted more than that. Then came the ultimate validation. Advertisement "All I know is I'm getting his locker," said Pippen to former ESPN sportswriter Melissa Isaacson during a preseason game on October 28, 1993. "It's the greatest promotion I've ever had. Michael, I love you, but I'm glad to see you go." The opportunity that Pippen had long waited for The Seattle SuperSonics drafted Pippen with the No.5 overall pick in 1987 before trading him to Chicago for Olden Polynice. Still, he didn't join the Bulls as their go-to superstar. Instead, Pip entered MJ's shadow from day one. Despite earning three All-Star selections, three All-Defensive First Team nods and two All-NBA team selections in his first six years in the NBA, Pippen was always known as Jordan's sidekick. He was always in the background, and MJ got all the accolades. But with Jordan leaving in 1993, it was Pippen's time to shine. And he relished the opportunity. Advertisement "I enjoyed my growth and development as a player, as well as the leadership role that I had," said the legendary forward in 2014. "It was the first time for me to be the clear-cut star. I didn't always have a chance to rise up when Michael was there, especially in my first three years. But by him stepping away a little bit, it gave me a little room to grow. And when he came back, it gave me an opportunity to stand beside him instead of standing below him." The Jordan-less Bulls finished the 1993-94 season with a 55-27 record, securing the third seed in the Eastern Conference. But despite sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round of the season, the New York Knicks ended their season in Eastern Conference semifinals after seven games. Pippen did a great job as the team's go-to guy. Throughout the regular season, he averaged 22.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. In 10 postseason games, the Hall of Famer put up 22.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Related: Gary Payton says he warned Shaquille O'Neal not to beef with Dwyane Wade like he did with Kobe Bryant: "I had to pull him aside" The value of lockers The Bulls allowing Pippen to use Jordan's old locker proved that the team valued him more than he thought they did. Advertisement When Michael retired again in 1998 and Scottie was traded to the Houston Rockets that season, Bulls management issued a memo that prohibited anyone on the team from using them. "No one will use the spaces this season out of respect for Jordan and Pippen, who led Chicago to six National Basketball Association titles, but a team spokesman said the Bulls have not decided exactly what will be done with the lockers. Except for a preseason game, Jordan's and Pippen's lockers have been off limits to the new Bulls," per the NY Times. Pippen did Jordan's locker justice. But for all his greatness — even in MJ's absence — he couldn't lead the Bulls to the title by himself. Even when Jordan returned with 17 games left in the 1994-95 regular season, the Bulls still suffered a second-round playoff loss against the Orlando Magic. However, they completed their revenge campaign in 1996, kicking off their second three-peat of the decade. Jordan was still the main guy. Pippen was still his sidekick. But he was arguably the greatest sidekick in NBA history. And Michael needed him just as much as he needed Michael. Advertisement Related: "Scottie would probably be in a wheelchair" - Bulls assistant said MJ's return and Rodman's arrival extended Pippen's career This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
WNBA Makes Stephanie White Decision Over Controversial Official Comments
WNBA Makes Stephanie White Decision Over Controversial Official Comments originally appeared on Athlon Sports. With Caitlin Clark back in the lineup, Stephanie White and the Indiana Fever improved to 6-5 on the 2025 WNBA season by defeating the Connecticut Sun, 88-71, on Tuesday night. Advertisement But the game didn't come without a lot of controversy with six technical fouls, two flagrant fouls and three ejections handed out. It started midway through the third quarter when Clark took a shot to the face from Sun guard Jacy Sheldon. The former Iowa Hawkeyes standout retaliated with a slight shove before Marina Mabrey came to Sheldon's defense, knocking Clark to the floor. Both teams started to get involved before they separated. In the final minute of the fourth quarter, Sophie Cunningham committed a hard foul on Sheldon during a fast-break layup attempt, sparking another scuffle that led to three ejections. Indiana Fever head coach Stephanie White watches the action.© Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images After the Fever's win, White had some choice comments on the officials' performance, calling them out in the postgame press conference. Advertisement "There wasn't an explanation for the technical [Clark] got," White said. "I think it was pretty obvious that stuff was brewing. When the officials don't get control of the ball game, when they allow that stuff to happen, and it has been happening all season long. All season long. It's not just this game, it has been happening all season long. This is what happens!" White had commented on the WNBA officials previously this season, receiving a hefty fine in return. However, this time around, the WNBA has elected not to fine White for her remarks, per Front Office Sports' Annie Costabile. While White will not receive a second fine, Cunningham was fined for her hard foul in the final minute. Mabrey's shove on Clark was upgraded to a flagrant 2, and every player who received a technical will be fined $200. Advertisement White and the Fever will look to make it three straight wins in their next game on Thursday night, facing Kate Martin and the Golden State Valkyries in San Francisco. The game begins at 10 p.m. ET and will be streamed on Amazon Prime. Related: Salary of WNBA Refs Discussed Following Caitlin Clark, Marina Mabrey Incident This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
LeBron James Tied At First Place For The Most NBA Finals Games Lost Ever
LeBron James Tied At First Place For The Most NBA Finals Games Lost Ever originally appeared on Fadeaway World. In a stat that may surprise even the most seasoned basketball fans, LeBron James has now tied Hall of Famer Jerry West for the most losses in NBA Finals history, 33. Both legends share identical Finals records: 22 wins and 33 losses, with a 40.0% win rate on the sport's grandest stage. Advertisement While this fact may seem like ammunition for critics, it actually highlights something far more impressive: sustained greatness and unmatched longevity. T1. LeBron James: 33 Games Lost (22-33, 40.0%) T1. Jerry West: 33 Games Lost (22-33, 40.0%) 3. Elgin Baylor - 28 Games Lost (16-28, 36.3%) 4. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: 27 Games Lost (29-27, 48.2%) 5. Magic Johnson: 26 Games Lost (24-26, 48.0%) 6. Bill Russell: 25 Games Lost (45-25, 64.2%) 7. Michael Cooper: 23 Games Lost (23-23, 50.0%) 8. Sam Jones: 22 Games Lost (42-22, 65.6%) 9. Danny Ainge: 21 Games Lost (16-21, 43.2%) T10. Derek Fisher: 19 Games Lost (24-19, 55.8%) T10. Wilt Chamberlain: 19 Games Lost (16-19, 45.7%) When it comes to the NBA Finals, simply reaching the championship round is a feat few players ever accomplish. Yet LeBron, across a staggering 10 Finals appearances, has gone toe-to-toe with dynasties, injuries, and impossible odds. Advertisement From his first Finals run with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007 to his most recent in the 2020 bubble with the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron has spent nearly two decades performing under the brightest lights. Joining him at the top of the Finals loss list is Jerry West, "Mr. Clutch" himself. West's 1–8 Finals record never diminished his status as one of the most respected legends in the sport. In fact, he remains the only player to win Finals MVP in a losing effort, proving that greatness isn't always measured by the scoreboard. LeBron's spot among the all-time Finals appearance leaders includes names like Elgin Baylor (28 losses), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (27), Magic Johnson (26), and Bill Russell (25). Advertisement Each of these players had a legendary career, often facing the toughest teams and the highest stakes year after year. That alone is an elite club, one that reflects resilience, excellence, and a consistent impact on winning basketball. LeBron's 40% win percentage in the Finals comes with crucial context. He's often led undermanned rosters against historically dominant teams. In 2015, he dragged a Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love-less Cavaliers team to six games against the 67-win Warriors. In 2017 and 2018, he went to battle alone against a fully loaded Warriors superteam that included Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson. Even in losses, LeBron's Finals performances often bordered on the historic, including his iconic 2016 triumph, where he led the Cavaliers from a 3–1 deficit to dethrone a 73-win Golden State team. Advertisement What makes this stat all the more impressive is LeBron's sustained level of excellence. He's not just showing up to the Finals; he's producing, averaging over 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists per game in Finals play. There are players who will spend 15 years in the league and never sniff the Finals. LeBron's been there 10 times. To lose 33 Finals games, you first have to be in 55 of them. That's the true mark of elite status. LeBron has now appeared in 10 NBA Finals, but what's even more staggering is the stretch from 2011 to 2018, where he made the Finals eight years in a row. He made 9 Finals in 10 years during that stretch from 2011 to 2020, a feat so rare and exhausting that it may never be repeated again in modern basketball. Every year, regardless of roster, coaching changes, or conference depth, LeBron willed his teams to the sport's ultimate stage. Advertisement So, while the 'most Finals losses' stat may seem like a blemish at first glance, it's anything but. It's a record that stands not as a symbol of failure, but of endurance, excellence, and the rare ability to keep returning to the mountain top, even if you don't always plant the flag. Greatness is never defined by perfection. It's defined by presence. And few have ever been present on the NBA's biggest stage more consistently or more brilliantly than LeBron James. Related: LeBron James Opens Up On His Knee Injury And NBA Retirement Plans This story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
