When Michael Jordan first burst onto the scene of an NBA struggling to find ratings success post-Magic Johnson and post-Larry Bird, the electric Chicago Bulls wunderkind engendered a lot of jealousy and hatred.
(Just Google what the “Jordan Rules” were.)
Despite that, Jordan was never really labeled a “villain,” save for fan bases outside of Portland, Los Angeles, Phoenix and Utah.
Now, it’s obviously way too soon to anoint Indiana Fever superstar sophomore Caitlin Clark as the next “Jordan” of anything, but the similarities are noteworthy.
Both are incredibly popular cults of personalities, both had to carry an outsized expectation with regards to fixing ratings woes and apathy, and both have drawn quite a bit of jealousy and disdain from their peers.
So what separates Clark from Jordan enough to classify her as a villain? You’d have to ask ESPN.
The embattled sports network came under fire during its annual ESPY Award Show on Wednesday night, when a panel of pundits offered a curious response to Clark being named the WNBA Athlete of the Year.
While discussing Clark’s latest piece of hardware, ESPN analyst Arielle Chambers was asked what she thought this award meant to the Fever star and what stood out about the WNBA star’s performance.
“I see just exponential growth of the game,” Chambers began. “Right? She brings eyes to the game, so that the next generation can come out and thrive.”
Did Caitlin Clark deserve the ESPY?
Of note, Clark is in just her second professional season, so it’s odd to describe her as the old guard.
But while that oddity may be worth a follow-up question, it was nothing compared to the curious description that Chambers would ascribe to Clark next.
“Just a dynamic player, just exciting to watch,” Chambers continued, before adding, “Her villain origin story has started, and she loves to play into it, and the fans eat it right up, so that we can see the next generation coming in and carry it along, too.”
Wait, what?
While Clark has certainly been unafraid to clap back at her critics, “villain origin” feels a bit strong for a player whose greatest sin appears to be the fact that she’s neither black nor lesbian in a league full of players who fit that description.
If Clark is a “villain,” as Chambers alleged, that’s largely the work of opposing players who insist on painting her in those broad strokes.
Social media, meanwhile, took notice of this odd label for Clark.
“They couldn’t stand Caitlin Clark winning Best WNBA Player Award at the ESPYS,” one prominent X account posted.
“The words: ‘Villain Origin Story’ and ‘Caitlin Clark’ do not go together in any universe, but you know what? CC won herself an ESPY for Best WNBA Player, so we move!!” one fan of Clark’s posted on X.
Despite the social media brouhaha, Clark has bigger issues on her plate currently.
Her Fever are currently battling for a playoff spot, sitting at a teetering 12-11 record. Perhaps more pressingly, Clark’s sophomore season has also been derailed due to injury, with the physical play against her clearly beginning to add up.
Fresh off a loss to New York, Clark and the Fever next play Tuesday in a second straight road tilt against the Liberty.
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