Richard Jefferson Rips Fan Over Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Rivalry Comment

The ex-NBA guard isn't the first to make this comparison, and probably won't be the last.

Jul 20, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Team WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) dribbles alongside Team WNBA forward Angel Reese (5) against USA Women's National Team during the WNBA All Star Game at Footprint Center. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Since their college days, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese have fended off repeated comparisons to Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird and guard Magic Johnson.

The founding facts of their rivalry—they played each other in two iconic college games; those games brought unprecedented visibility to women's college basketball—invited enough commentary on their own. Now that both Clark and Reese have found immediate professional success, the comparisons have grown even louder.

On Wednesday morning, no less an authority than former NBA forward and ESPN analyst Richard Jefferson endorsed Clark and Reese carrying on the legacy of Bird and Johnson.

"You couldn’t be more wrong," Jefferson scolded a fan who questioned the existence of a Clark-Reese rivalry. "Magic and Bird were forever tied together since college. Their rivalry started in college and continued (through) the professional level. How many records did BOTH women break? Artificial? If you don’t know sports just say so."

You couldn’t be more wrong. Magic and Bird were forever tied together since college. Their rivalry started in college and continued thru the professional level. How many records did BOTH women break? Artificial? If you don’t know sports just say so https://t.co/jTXAFvKCLg

— Richard Jefferson (@Rjeff24) September 11, 2024

Before they played for the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, Bird and Johnson met in the 1979 NCAA men's tournament championship as members of Indiana State and Michigan State, respectively. The Spartans won that closely watched battle 75–64.

Time will tell whether Clark and Reese approach Bird and Johnson's mystique, but their collective performance in 2024 is a great place to start.

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