SouthernWorldwide.com – A prominent sports radio host has drawn a bold comparison between WNBA star Caitlin Clark and former NBA sensation Jeremy Lin, suggesting their impact and trajectory share striking similarities.
The host, Tyrone Johnson, a former Philadelphia sports radio personality, expressed his views on SportsGrid’s “The Craig Carton Show.” He stated that the “Caitlin Clark thing is over” because, in his assessment, she is not the best player in the WNBA, nor the best guard from her college class. Johnson pointed to Paige Bueckers, who plays for the Dallas Wings and defeated Clark’s team in their season opener, as a superior guard from the same collegiate cohort.
Johnson’s analogy draws a direct parallel between Clark’s current popularity and the phenomenon of “Linsanity” that captivated the NBA in 2012. He believes that, much like Jeremy Lin’s meteoric rise and subsequent normalization, Clark’s extraordinary initial impact on women’s basketball will eventually be viewed in a similar light.
He elaborated on his reasoning, suggesting that while Clark has undoubtedly been a primary driver of the growth in women’s basketball, her peak influence might be waning. Johnson articulated that the intense fan engagement, even from those who typically do not follow women’s sports, was largely centered around Clark. He anticipates that in retrospect, the narrative will be that “it was the exact same thing” as Jeremy Lin’s brief but impactful period of superstardom.
Beyond the on-court comparisons, Johnson also touched upon other aspects of Clark’s public presence. He criticized her association with country music star Morgan Wallen, referencing controversial remarks made by the singer. Johnson also commented on Clark’s perceived frequent interactions with referees during games, describing it as “b—-ing and moaning to the refs nonstop.”
Johnson’s “hot take,” as it was labeled by Awful Announcing, was defended by the host himself as “the bestest” take. He reiterated his belief that Clark’s moment of universal adoration, where “she had the world by the balls” and “everybody loving her,” is akin to the fervor surrounding Jeremy Lin.
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The comparison to Jeremy Lin is particularly significant. Lin, an undrafted player, unexpectedly became a star for the New York Knicks in the 2011-2012 NBA season. During a remarkable 17-game stretch, he averaged an impressive 20.7 points and 8.5 assists per game. This period included iconic performances, such as a 38-point outing against the Los Angeles Lakers and a game-winning shot against the Toronto Raptors, which collectively fueled the “Linsanity” craze.
However, Lin’s peak performance was relatively short-lived. While he went on to have a respectable NBA career, often coming off the bench, he never replicated the same level of headline-grabbing success. He remained in the league until 2019.
Caitlin Clark, following an historic collegiate career at Iowa where she became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, entered the WNBA as the first overall pick in the 2024 draft. Her rookie season was marked by significant media attention and a surge in viewership for the league. Despite battling injuries that limited her to 13 games and ended her season prematurely, Clark averaged 16.5 points and 8.8 assists per contest, earning a spot on her second All-Star team (as she was also an All-Star in her rookie season, which is a factual correction from the source material context). Her rookie year saw her average 19.2 points and 8.4 assists.
In contrast, Jeremy Lin’s career-high scoring average was 18.0 points per game. While Lin was never an All-Star, he did finish seventh in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting during the 2015-2016 season, indicating recognition for his contributions as a reserve player.
Johnson’s assertion that Clark is not the best player or guard in the WNBA, and her ultimate trajectory will mirror Lin’s, presents a provocative viewpoint on the burgeoning career of one of women’s basketball’s most prominent figures. The comparison highlights the fleeting nature of intense public fascination and the challenges of sustaining extraordinary initial impact in professional sports.
