Reason Behind Ice Cube’s $5 Million Offer for Caitlin Clark Deduced as NBA Veteran Makes a Bold Claim

The news of a $5 million offer to Caitlin Clark to play for the BIG3 raised a lot of eyebrows in the basketball world. What was just a rumor earlier was confirmed by the league founder Ice Cube himself in a later tweet. However, a major section of the community did not receive the confirmation very well. 3x NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas is also among the ones to have his own judgements and speculations about the issue.

In fact, the ex-Washington Wizards‘ star believes the whole thing to be a facade for getting publicity for the BIG3 league. “You (Ice Cube) know she can’t participate in this, right? You’re just using it for the hype,” Arenas stated. He backed his statement by mentioning that Iowa Hawkeyes’ star Caitlin Clark gets drafted April 15th. He further spotlighted that, as per the contract, she can’t play any other thing during the season.

It is worth mentioning that the 22-year-old has herself already confirmed her joining the 2024 WNBA draft. “While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa. I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft,” read the statement posted by Caitlin Clark on X.

This clears up what Arenas was trying to state on the podcast. The 42-year-old even explained the reason behind Ice Cube going along with the rumors around. Gil believes that the rapper just wanted to involve Clark’s name because she is one of the hottest names in the sports as of now.

Read More: $5 Million Deal for Caitlin Clark Awaits as Ice Cube’s 7YO Venture Seeks Latest Addition

Arenas also spotlighted the fact that everyone else in the BIG3 league gets paid around 5-10 grand, then how could such a major offer be possible for the 22-year-old college basketball player?

Why is Caitlin Clark such a popular name at present?

The statement made by Gilbert Arenas about players being paid around 5-10 grand is almost accurate. As per CNBC, too, the participants of the league usually earn roughly $10,000 per game plus bonuses that are tied to winning. And salaries can reach up to $100,000. So the $5 million offer to the Iowa Hawkeyes’ guard would mean that the player does hold a certain brand value.

Even if the offer is pretentious, it would still hint towards the desperate need to associate Caitlin Clark’s name with the BIG3. One explanation for such popularity can be her impeccable career record even before college basketball began. She won two gold medals in the FIBA World Cups at the youth level during her high school days. The Women’s Basketball Coaches Association also named her co-freshman of the year. Clark averaged 26.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game in her freshman season.

The third FIBA gold medal for Caitlin Clark came in her sophomore year in the under-19 World Cup. She even earned the title of tournament MVP. In her college basketball career, the 22-year-old has averaged 28.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per game. Another reason behind her recent popularity can be that this is Clark’s last season for Iowa Hawkeyes. She has captivated everyone’s attention as she carries the team’s NCAA championship aspirations for one last time.

Read More: Why Caitlin Clark Instead of Angel Reese? NBA Veteran Questions Ice Cube’s $5 Million Offer for Iowa Star