Magic Johnson “Loves” Caitlin Clark-Angel Reese Rivalry Getting Compared to Him and Larry Bird

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s rivalry has been one of the biggest stories in basketball over the past two years. The hostility and competitiveness between the two generated as much publicity as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird’s beef in the 1980s did. The Hall of Famers’ rivalry was the kick the NBA needed to survive and grow. And, after all the comparisons, Johnson also agrees Clark and Reese’s rivalry will do the same for the WNBA.

The Lakers icon understands better than most how a long-term rivalry between two superstars benefits a sport. As the owner of WNBA’s LA Sparks, he’s ecstatic about the positive effect Clark and Reese’s rivalry is having on his, the players’, and the teams’ bottom lines. During an appearance on Fox Sports’ Speak, he spoke glowingly about the duo’s impact and the Johnson and Bird comparison. He said,

“I love [the rivalry]… They dominated in college and they brought it to the WNBA just like [me and Bird] brought it to the NBA. We changed the NBA. They changed the WNBA.”

The five-time NBA champion also lauded the duo for bending the league to their will and forcing them to provide the amenities that players have been deprived of for decades. He added:

“And now everything these young ladies are fighting for, they are about to get. They end up getting private planes now, they are going to get more money in terms of salary… It’s amazing the way they were able to go around arenas across the country and sell them out and little girls dreaming about being like Caitlin. Like Angel. It has been amazing.”

Johnson also highlighted that investors are flocking to the WNBA, hoping to buy a franchise outright or become part owners due to the unprecedented spike in the league’s popularity. The wheels for this growth were set in motion in the NCAA Championship Game and it hasn’t stopped churning since.

Clark and Reese’s rivalry

Clark and Reese have been facing each other since their days in the AAU. Back then there was no rivalry between the two. It didn’t even foster when Reese’s Maryland beat Clark’s Iowa in the Big 10 Conference Championship Final.

It came to the fore in the 2023 National Championship Game between LSU and Iowa. During her team’s March Madness run, Clark adopted the ‘You Can’t See Me’ celebration and did it every time she hit a big shot. In the final, Reese, now at LSU, followed the guard around and did the celebration to mock her.

The Tigers thrashed the Hawkeyes to win the national championship but the result was largely irrelevant to fans and the media. They focused on Reese’s villainy. The incident put the spotlight on the duo and is considered the starting point of the beef between the two.

They both embarked on historic senior years with their respective school and met again in the quarterfinal of the NCAA Tournament in 2024. Clark got her revenge, as the Hawkeyes beat the Tigers and ended their season.

Both players declared for the 2024 WNBA draft, which pulled the highest viewership of any draft in the league’s history. As was speculated for months, the Indiana Fever picked Clark first overall. Reese had to wait for a while to hear her name called. It finally happened on the seventh pick, as the Chicago Sky drafted the center.

They resumed their rivalry in the WNBA as they scratched, clawed, and elbowed to gain an upper hand over the other. They battled for the Rookie of the Year crown, which was too close to call. However, the guard seized control of the race after the Olympic break and never looked back.

Round 1 in the WNBA went to Clark. However, this bout is expected to go on for years and have more twists and turns. It’s exactly what the league clamored for.

Two college rivals, who battled for championships, transitioned to the pros, became their team’s leaders in their rookie years, and the faces of the league, and took its popularity to unprecedented heights. Hollywood loves a reboot and so does basketball it seems.