History, history and then some more history! That basically sums up Caitlin Clark‘s rookie season. Will she get the ROTY? That’s the biggest buzz around the WNBA star making her a protagonist of a “Love me or hate me, but you can’t ignore me” story. The polarization created by her skills and supposed rivalry with Angel Reese saw the hoop fraternity divided and LeBron James is firmly in the corner of the Fever ace. But that’s a big hoax! No need to bust a cap on us cause these are the words of Jason Whitlock.

Following Caitlin Clark’s 31-point performance in the 100-81 win over the Chicago Sky, LeBron James gave the guard her flowers with a special shout-out. LeBron wrote, “CAITLIN CLARK!!!!! HI HATERS”, on his X handle which drew the attention of Whitlock.

And then started the columnists’ bombardment, who urged Clark to escape LeBron’s Nike agenda and join forces with Patrick Mahomes. Whitlock posed a series of questions and wrote, “Do you believe LeBron James sincerely likes Caitlin Clark? I don’t. Does he want to be in commercials with her and ride her wave? Yes. LeBron is a race idolator pretending he likes CC. CC is gonna sell more Nikes than LeBron. He knows it. She’s going to be a bigger icon than LeBron. He wants to pretend he supported/blessed her rise. CC is a Chiefs fan. I hope she builds an alliance with Patrick Mahomes. That will be tough because Mahomes is signed to Adidas. I hope CC keeps her distance from LeBron. Align with Jordan at Nike and align with Mahomes publicly. Do I have LeBron Derangement Syndrome?”

Caitlin Clark made history when she signed the biggest endorsement deal in women’s basketball with Nike earlier this year. Given Clark’s trendsetting aura, it won’t be a surprise if she becomes the biggest draw of the company after Michael Jordan. Whitlock believes Clark should align herself with MJ rather than LeBron to thwart his supposed plan of being a guiding light to her. Clark is a Chiefs fan, so doing promotions with Mahomes makes sense. But the Super Bowl winner is tied to Adidas, making it impossible to do so. Hence, a public alliance can be the go-to move.

Finally, Whitlock questioned if he has a “LeBron Derangement Syndrome”, but it’s best if you answer it. This did not come out of the blue, as LeBron has had a history of praising Clark since her Iowa days. But was it all a part of his grand scheme?

LeBron James’s history of praising Caitlin Clark shows a pattern

Since Caitlin Clark put her foot on the WNBA court there has been no shortage of vitriol. The negativity came mostly from the senior players who didn’t exactly welcome the exposure the league was getting due to her. But LeBron’s backing of her started even before that. The Lakers star called out the haters after Clark’s performance against USC during the NCAA championship. “If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!! Stay far away from them people!! PLEASE”, LeBron wrote on X.

So it was unsurprising when the 39-year-old defended Clark from the hate she was getting upon her WNBA arrival. In an episode of the Mind the Game podcast, LeBron advised CC on how to cope with the situation. “Put your blinders on, go to work, show up to work, punch your clock in, prepare yourself, work on your game, work on your craft, you know, kinda keep your mouth shut, you know, and just learn from the vets when they ask, you voice your opinion if they want your opinion.” LeBron further clarified how she was the reason for the league’s viewership rise as Clark attracted the eyeballs that followed her college career.

Reminding everyone that it’s a team game and Clark needs support to succeed, LeBron said, “I’m rooting for Caitlin because I’ve been in that seat before, I’ve walked that road before”, and concluded. So these are enough to back Whitlock’s argument that LeBron has painted a picture of him being a CC guy from day 1, something Caitlin Clark needs to watch out for. Again, not our words, it’s from the person asking whether he has a “LeBron Derangement Syndrome”.