Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese: Could They Become the New Icons of Basketball Like Magic and Bird?
Basketball fans love a good rivalry. Fans everywhere are accustomed to pitting one player or team against another. Currently, there is a GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and LeBron James .
Fans argue whether Magic Johnson or Stephen Curry is the best point guard of all time.
Rather than celebrating each individual’s greatness, media personalities and casual fans choose to pick sides while putting down the other.
Traditionally, the Boston Celtics and the L.A. Lakers can’t stand each other. Miami Heat fans cannot stand the New York Knicks , and vice versa. More recently, fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers have a disdain for the Golden State Warriors due to the epic battles the two teams had in the NBA Finals. So, overall, rivalries are good for the game of basketball.
However, it’s widely agreed that the NBA’s best rivalry was between two superstars in the 1980s.
Larry Bird and Magic Johnson
The iconic duo helped shape the NBA as we know it
Most NBA historians would agree that the league, which was suffering and losing money, took a turn for the better in the 1980s. Most attribute the league’s fortunes’ turnaround to a rivalry between two stars, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson . The two had a rivalry that translated from their college years and bled over to the professional league in the 1979-80 season.
In the 1979 NCAA National Championship game, Magic Johnson, a dynamic, flashy 6-9 African American point guard, led his Michigan State team to victory over Larry Bird and the undefeated Indiana squad. A white star, Bird was known for his crafty moves and sharpshooting. The title game between the two is the most-watched National Championship basketball game in NCAA history, with 35.1 million viewers.
As a result, fans began tuning into NBA games in hopes of seeing the two of them continue what they started in college. The two stars, though different, were merciless and cutthroat. Their competitive fire was must-see TV and resuscitated the NBA, as more fans were glued to their televisions than ever before.
After their playing careers were over, Bird and Magic buried the hatchet and both have helped grow the game, taking the NBA to new heights. However, another up-and-coming basketball league is following their blueprint closely.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese
The pair became rivals in college, much like Magic and Bird
WNBA rookie stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have taken the game by storm. They have a rivalry that first started when the two were in college. In the Women’s NCAA Championship basketball game in 2023, Reese of LSU and Clark of Iowa battled it out for the title. LSU defeated Iowa 102-85. The matchup was insane, and one fans won’t soon forget. Reese went viral as she was seen celebrating by looking at Clark and tapping her ring finger, symbolizing that she was about to receive a championship ring.
This not only started a rivalry between the two teams but was unfortunately made into a racial issue, just as the Bird, Magic competitions were.
In the Elite Eight of the Women’s 2024 NCAA Tournament, LSU and Iowa met again; this time, Clark and the Hawkeyes emerged victorious. The game between the two teams shattered all Women’s NCAA basketball tournament records with 12.3 million viewers.
Eventually, Iowa would lose to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the most watched Women’s National Championship game in history. That game was watched by over 19 million viewers worldwide.
Clark and Reese in the Pros
The pair has continued to dominate headlines at the highest level
Since the two arrived in the WNBA, Clark and Reese have been part of the most-watched games in league history and have been setting records along the way with their gameplay. Reese led the league this season in double-doubles and rebounding. Clark finished the regular season as good as advertised. She was seventh in points scored, second in minutes played, and first in three-point field goals made. Much like Bird and Magic, the two are living up to the hype and bringing more viewership and revenue to the game.
It was public knowledge that the NBA wasn’t very profitable when Larry Bird and Magic Johnson entered the league.
“Those two guys -Magic Johnson and Larry Bird saved the NBA. Really saved the NBA from really going under because at that particular point, it was only maybe 4 teams that were making money out of maybe 22–24 teams in the league. And these two guys came along, and they just kinda save the NBA.” – Byron Scott
The league’s revenue took off as TV networks scrambled to air the newly acquired NBA talent. In 1979, the NBA signed a TV deal with CBS worth $74 million. In 1990, annual revenue exceeded $165 million. In 2023, the NBA saw revenue of $1.66 billion due to broadcasting deals, sponsorships, and gate receipts—a trend that began to grow after Bird and Magic entered the league.
In 2024, the WNBA opened its season with the highest attendance in 26 Years. This year, the women’s professional basketball league has had its most-watched games ever on national TV. A record number of fans tuned in to the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game to see stars Reese and Clark make history. ABC reported an average viewership of 3.4 million, 300 percent more than in 2023 and triple the all-time record previously set in 2003.
WNBA Value Increase
The league is reaching new financial heights
The NBA previously valued the WNBA at $76 million, but with the addition of Clark and Reese and the increased attention on the league, the WNBA has now been valued at $200 million.
Despite the increased value, the WNBA is still losing money. However, with increased revenue from media rights, sponsorships, ticket prices, and merchandise sold, the WNBA is now on a record-breaking trajectory with Clark and Reese at the helm of the ship of women’s stars.
Like Bird and Magic, Clark and Reese are box office, and we could very well be talking about the two of them in 40 years as we have the Celtic and Lakers legends who changed the game and saved an entire league from becoming bankrupt.
