Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s Comment on Caitlin Clark Gets Slammed by Analyst
Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has become one of the faces of the WNBA due to her immense popularity and on-court play. Clark is in her third year in the league, where she has been bouncing back from an injury-ridden 2025 campaign. Even when Clark was sidelined last year, the women’s basketball world kept discussing when she would come back, as Clark has the ability to draw a crowd and sell out games.
Recently, though, one of the greatest NBA players of all time, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, said through his Substack page that Clark is not the face of the league, no matter how great she is. This is because the five-time NBA champion believes that this will be an insult to all-time greats before her, both in the NBA and WNBA. On Wednesday, July 15, basketball analyst Robin Lundberg uploaded a YouTube video to dismiss Abdul-Jabbar’s statement.
“No, it’s not. It’s just telling the truth. It does not say she is the best player in the league. It’s not the same thing. There can be a distinction between face of the league and best player in the league. Caitlin Clark, you know, I think at times has been on her way to proving she could be the best player in the league or is the best player in the league but she hasn’t been on the court long enough or stayed healthy long enough,” Lundberg said. (0:32)
“But, we act like she is some sort of bum in that regard. And not that Kareem said that, but other folks do,” he continued.
Lundberg’s comments stem from other basketball and media personalities talking down on Clark, despite her being one of the most popular players in the WNBA. One example of this is American columnist Jason Whitlock criticizing Clark’s attitude towards referees in one of his videos. Still, Clark’s brand continues to grow, both on and off the court. This includes a signature sneaker with sportswear giant Nike expected to release this year.
Robin Lundberg believes Caitlin Clark as the face of the WNBA is not an insult to any of the greats
Later in his YouTube video, Robin Lundberg asserted that it is not an insult to any of the greats before Caitlin Clark, whether in the WNBA or the NBA, that she is now the face of her league. Lundberg believes that it boils down to each league having many faces throughout different eras. In the current landscape, Clark’s popularity cannot be dismissed as onlookers continue to rave about her.
“I don’t see how it’s an insult to anyone or any of the pioneers of the league. It doesn’t make them any less great, it doesn’t make any of her peers any less great. But, the fact of the matter is, Caitlin Clark is the most famous, most recognizable, most popular player in the WNBA and in WNBA history. Thus, the face of the league,” Lundberg shared. (1:15)
Clark has helped the Fever reach a current overall record of 14-9 so far in the 2026 WNBA season.
