25-6-9 was the number that announced a new era in the NBA 21 years ago. It was the statline from the first game of a kid from Akron who came into the league with unmatched hype. Now, 21 years down the line, it’s safe to say, the kid from Akron, LeBron James, is one of the best to play the game. And there’s this number of 2.1 million. That’s the number of viewers across all broadcasting platforms for Caitlin Clark‘s debut, 8 million more than the average viewership in that week. Isn’t that what an ushering of a star looks like?

Will she be as big as LeBron James? Or is she already? Shannon Sharpe, a die-har LeBron fan, thinks the answer is yes. He had no hesitation in putting the WNBA rookie in the same bracket as the King.

During the latest episode of the First Take, Shannon argued about whether the media is doing a disservice to the women who laid the foundation for Caitlin Clark by not highlighting them. Dismissing this point from Molly Qerim, Shannon said, “When Michael Jordan (came to the league), when nobody talking about Connie Hawkins, Nobody was talking about Wilt Chamberlain…That’s what we’ve always done. We talked about the player that’s currently playing.” Caitlin Clark’s arrival in the women’s league catapulted its numbers like never before, be it viewership, be it attendance, be it merch sale.

The hype surrounding her is not necessarily a slack at the trailblazers of the WNBA. The former NFL star further added, “As far as box office, tell me the lady that came in with that (hype). She’s basically the LeBron James. The kind of hype that LeBron came into the NBA with, Caitlin Clark came to the WNBA with the same type of hype, and she’s backed it up.”

LeBron won the ROTY award in his first season but failed to get an All-Star call-up. On the contrary, CC has already made her first WNBA All-Star appearance and is a firm favorite in the ROTY race. “The Chosen One” signed a 7-year, $87 million deal with Nike in 2003, before his NBA debut. Clark also did the same by signing a record-setting contract for the women’s game with the brand earlier this year. So if LeBron is considered box-office, Caitlin Clark deserves that box-office status too as she is almost replicating the events from 21 years ago. All that’s left is to win the ROTY and the voice of First Take, Stephen A. Smith, believes the race for the award is all but over.

Stephen A. Smith believes Caitlin Clark has wrapped up the WNBA ROTY race

This season’s WNBA ROTY race has been one for the ages. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s searing rivalry is the talking point of the race, a rivalry that will rule the league for years to come. But who’ll eventually come on top? Stephen A. Smith backs Caitlin Clark for that and according to him, the race is pretty much done and dusted. “There is no question the race for Rookie of the Year is over,” SAS said in the same episode. He further highlights CC is averaging 23.4 points in the last 12 games from 47% shooting and she’s 9-3 since July 6.

Caitlin is only behind A’ja Wilson in scoring but leads the league in assists with 10.6. “Caitlin Clark has been flat-out balling, and she has elevated her level of play to a point. There is no debate,” the analyst added. He even gave a shout-out to Angel Reese and her double-double streak, but claimed that she’s the second-best in the ROTY conversation. Smith even put Caitlin in the MVP discussion and said, “She ain’t gonna win it because ain’t she Wilson there. But Caitlin Clark is in the conversation for league MVP. I don’t know if you ever already know that, but she in the conversation of league MVP as a rookie.”

The impact of Caitlin Clark on the league even earned the respect of LeBron James despite indications of a grander scheme. But the Lakers star has been at the top of the league for the past two decades. Will CC be able to do that or even eclipse it? A long shot, but one worth following.