Seldom will any sport have two all-time records set in the same weekend. But that is precisely what happened over the last couple of days as Caitlin Clark and LeBron James did the unthinkable in college and pro basketball respectively.
For Clark, the consensus top woman player in college this season, smashed Pete Maravich’s all-time scoring record.
Her 35 points in her final home game for Iowa gave Clark 3, 685 points in 130 games.
James became the first NBA player to reach the 40, 000 point mark. He had 26 points in a loss to the Denver Nuggets. He continues in his 21st year to excel and play at a high level.
Indeed if Clark were not having such a sensational year, the James story would have been more dominant.
It’s also interesting that neither Clark nor James are universally loved.
Maravich’s defenders point out that he set his record in three years and played in an era with no shot clock or three-point line.
The James detractors maintain his feats are a product of longevity, and insist he ranks far behind Michael Jordan.
But Clark has brought global attention to women’s basketball in a fashion unrivaled by any of her predecessors. Tickets to her games go for thousands of dollars.
As for James, he continues to defy time and the usual deterioration of skills brought about by age.
Rather than constantly nitpick and criticize, basketball fans should be grateful to be living in an age when Caitlin Clark and LeBron James are making history.
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