How successful has Caitlin Clark been in shutting down critics? The only way to keep the haters at bay is to deliver exceptional performances, and the WNBA rookie has been doing exactly that! It was just a few hours ago when the 22-year-old recorded her 2nd overall triple-double during a game against the Sparks. The 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists she made went a long way in ensuring the Fever’s 93-86 win, propelling them higher in the East. This provided CC with the perfect weapon to keep handy and slash any criticism coming her way, and her keen supporter LeBron James, knows it better than anyone else!

The 39-year-old Laker didn’t seem to mind that it was his WNBA home team that lost. Instead, he showered praise on Caitlin Clark by highlighting her recent feat on his Instagram story. Furthermore, LeBron James also added a cluster of laughing emojis alongside the caption that read “Hi HATERS!!!!!! I love it.”

Bron’s remarks come just a few days after he had given a shoutout to the rookie after two dominating games on the weekend. Immediately following a career-high 31 points and 12 assists performance against Angel Reese’s Sky, she went on to drop 28 points and 12 assists against the Wings. By writing “CAITLIN CLARK!!!!! HI HATERS”, LeBron James was simply giving a preview of the attack line he would use going forward against the WNBA star’s critics!

Coming into the WNBA, Caitlin Clark carried the burden of expectations on her shoulders. After all, her 4-year stint in Iowa had seen her establish several individual records and earn accolades like the Naismith College Player of the Year award, and the AP Player of the Year. Her presence in the WNBA itself increased eyeballs, as reports indicate that the officially dubbed ‘Caitlin Clark effect’ brought in 4x more viewers for the 2024 WNBA Draft than the previous year, and her debut was the most watched WNBA matchup since 2001!

Unfortunately, despite her individual prowess, the Indiana Fever was not able to establish a winning streak right from the beginning and went on to lose 9 of its first 11 games. The tide has now changed, however, as the franchise continues to complement Caitlin Clark’s lead scoring. As of now, the star rookie has won 10 of its 12 recent matchups.

LeBron James is amongst the few members of the NBA who have risen to Clark’s defense against haters. Back in June, in a segment of Inside the NBA, Charles Barkley highlighted his belief that negative narratives about the rookie are intentionally being spread by WNBA’s “petty” television personalities. He reiterated the same point yesterday on The Bill Simmons Podcast, stating, “These ladies—and I’m a WNBA fan—they cannot have f—-d this Caitlin Clark thing up any worse if they tried. People believe what we say on television. Just because people don’t like you or your personality, they can’t get on TV and slander you. It’s just total bul—–.”

After former WNBA player Sheryl Swoopes highlighted the Fever’s winning streak but failed to give any sort of praise to Caitlin Clark, ESPN sportscaster Stephen A. Smith called her out by stating, “Do you realize Sheryl Swoopes that you’re insane to do that?” This culminated in an online feud between Smith and Swoopes. Stephen A. would later claim that Swoopes was removed from the commentator box for the Fever-Wings game in light of making her “personal feelings” somewhat obvious.

LeBron James has been following Caitlin Clark’s WNBA journey from the start. Having spent 21 years in the NBA, the legend is accustomed to receiving both love and more-than-usual hate from fans and analysts alike. Therefore, having been in the same shoes as the rookie, the NBA All-Time Scorer tries to serve as a mentor whenever he could.

Drawing comparison with himself, LeBron James asked Caitlin Clark to ignore haters: “Don’t think she should get involved”

By May, Caitlin Clark had already started to rise in popularity as a WNBA rookie. It even allowed her ink a deal with Wilson Sporting Goods, becoming the first female athlete to have her line of signature basketballs. However, various narratives ranging from her appearance and skin color to criticism over the theory that she was solely responsible for the rise of viewership in WNBA games continued to be present in the air.

The hate even reached the ears of LeBron James himself, who turned to his Mind the Game pod to hand out some advice to the player and the women’s league. “The one thing that I love that she’s bringing into her sport- more people want to watch, more people want to tune in,” he said. “Don’t get it twisted. Don’t get it f—-d up. Caitlin Clark is the reason why a lot of great things is going to happen for the WNBA. But for her individually, I don’t think she should get involved on nothing that’s being said. Just go, have fun, enjoy.”

LeBron James added that he is rooting for Clark “because I’ve been in that seat before. I’ve walked that road before. I hope she kills.” According to the NBA star’s former coach Paul Silas, the hate for Bron during his rookie season in 2003 was prominent, with his own teammates making their dislike known.

Silas attempted to reason with the rest of the Cavs roster, as he highlighted “Their egos wouldn’t allow it. I kept telling them, ‘You have a chance to help one of the game’s future stars,’ but they wouldn’t embrace him.” The coach also added, “If it bothered LeBron, he never let on. We won 35 games that year because of him.”

2 decades later, the lesson that you can’t impress everyone but should continue giving your best has been transferred to Caitlin Clark.