OT Ice Cube offers Caitlin Clark 5 million dollar contract to join BIG 3 League

[MrGoat]

Would this also make her the first female player in Big 3 history?

Ice Cube pushing the culture for women forward i see. She should take the offer and run. She is worth way more than what the WNBA can offer her.

They have had Lisa Leslie and Nancy Lieberman as head coaches for a few years now. They used to sometimes have the coaches go into the games themselves but I don't know if either one of them ever actually subbed herself in

She should take the offer. That's a lot of dough for 10 games that are only played to 50 points

[Asianiac_24]

I hope for the sake of the WNBA that she doesn’t sign. She’s the only person people are interested in watching in the WNBA, but I don’t think she would look good playing against men, retired or not

[NyKnicks1714]

Maybe, but what prevents her from doing one and then the other. She can still pursue her WNBA career after cashing in the check from the Big3.

She'd lose a lot of respect among both her fans and her peers. Caitlin Clark is universally loved right now and doing something to ruin that doesn't seem like a wise move to me.

No one loses respect for someone accepting 5 million dollars to play basketball. Anyone with half a brain would accept that.

She could easily do 1 year of the Big 3 and then be rich, and play the rest of her WNBA career after.

Well then I guess I have less than half a brain. I wouldn't think less of her for taking the money, but others might see her as a sell-out, right or wrong, and I'm sure some WNBA players would resent her for it.

[YogurtProducer]

She'd lose a lot of respect among both her fans and her peers. Caitlin Clark is universally loved right now and doing something to ruin that doesn't seem like a wise move to me.

No one loses respect for someone accepting 5 million dollars to play basketball. Anyone with half a brain would accept that.

She could easily do 1 year of the Big 3 and then be rich, and play the rest of her WNBA career after.

Well then I guess I have less than half a brain. I wouldn't think less of her for taking the money, but others might see her as a sell-out, right or wrong, and I'm sure some WNBA players would resent her for it.

100% of WNBA players take $5M to play in the Big3. Lots of these girls sell themselves out to play in places like Russia. Why would they suddenly have morales over ice cube?

[Snakebites]

There's no chance in hell she's taking that lol. Big3 is a dumb gimmick. She's not going to lower her brand value by doing that crap.

Maybe if they offered her $50M but yeah...$5M is chump change for her

Is it? What income can she expect beyond the 6 figure WNBA salary?

I ask because I don’t know what a star can make from endorsements/playing internationally in the offseason.

[JustBuzzin]

This honestly sounds like a good deal for her.

The WNBA is just not very popular. Sure she goes to her dream league growing up, but do we really think people are going to start watching WNBA games because of Clark?

She makes more money in the Big 3 while also having better travel. The WNBA has shown us they don't really care about their players from the travel to the hotels it's all a joke for a professional athlete.


Clark please take this offer and don't think twice about it! She could be the face of that league and grow it bigger than the WNBA. Hell maybe she opens up opportunities for women coming out of college. They could totally become more popular than the WNBA.

[mack2354]

I'm not sure the Big 3 should be considered a "gimmick" league. I'm willing to say that 3 on 3 basketball in the Olympics is greatly due to the Big 3 breaking down the stigma of 3 on 3 being an amateur game. With the Big 3 and now the Oympics, I also wouldn't be surprised to see 3 on 3 as a big part of NBA All Star weekend since people have all but lost interest in the traditional 5 on 5 game.

[NyKnicks1714]

No one loses respect for someone accepting 5 million dollars to play basketball. Anyone with half a brain would accept that.

She could easily do 1 year of the Big 3 and then be rich, and play the rest of her WNBA career after.

Well then I guess I have less than half a brain. I wouldn't think less of her for taking the money, but others might see her as a sell-out, right or wrong, and I'm sure some WNBA players would resent her for it.

100% of WNBA players take $5M to play in the Big3. Lots of these girls sell themselves out to play in places like Russia. Why would they suddenly have morales over ice cube?

Well I was under the impression this would be in lieu of her 1st WNBA season. If it's an offseason thing that's another story. And regardless, I never said it would be a logical thing to criticize or resent her for, but it would happen.

[phanman]

Well, she is arguably the most popular current athlete in the United States. I'd be surprised if she takes $5M to play in a gimmick league. It's like PornHub paying Nicole Kidman $20M for a porno...I just doubt she takes it.

It's a horrible analogy considering that:
1) Nicole Kidman isn't a porn star, she is a highly successful actress
2) Nicole Kidman has earned far more than 20m throughout her career so this isn't the same financial windfall as it is for Caitlin
3) You may consider the big 3 to be a gimmick league, but at the end of the day its still half court competitive basketball with real stakes

Are you trying to argue that joining the big 3 will decrease both her marketability and endorsement earning power? I can see absolutely no drawback if she participates in both leagues and really the WNBA isn't in a position to play hardball with her here. That level of exposure is simply beneficial to all parties.

With that said, all the rumors, interviews, articles regarding the NBA trying to supress the Big 3 is real and I can see something fishy going on behind the scenes to prevent it from happening.

[KembaWalker]

I think the NBA knows what an asset Clark is to their WNBA league and will do what they have to when it comes to networking her some endorsement deals to cover whatever amount she needs to not do something like this, especially with Ice Cube specifically who is trying to get the feds involved in investigating the NBA

Edit: damn, phanman beat me to it

[UcanUwill]

Well the wnba is losing money every year and is subsidized by the nba.

Wnba players are already using smaller balls so its not the same game anyway. If there were more dunks due to lowered rims, I bet viewership would go up.

At any rate its not like they are doing well currently anyway....

Lowering the rim IMO, is just basically giving up. Like, I shared many times that I have depression, and my psychiatrist sometimes say that I should get a dog or cat, but I feel, if I do that - that is just giving up. So yeah, lowering the rim, is an equivalent of lonely person getting a cat, I do not like the idea.

Also, WNBA is just not NBA. WNBA as mentioned, probably not even the most prestigious league in Womens basketball, it probably has some prestige because it borrows NBA's IP, but thats it, all the women players also play in foreign leagues, so will they just play 10 foot rim basketball for 7 months, but then gather to play WNBA 0n 8 foot rims for those two months? WNBA already suck as it is, it would be just nail in the coffin, I do not think many people would take it more seriously if they do that.

Do you know what typically happens when a business loses money? They go bankrupt.

I am sorry about your depression but this is a really bizarre and unrelated comparison.

The wnba is already different game from the nba already and women are different from men. Its natural that there will be some differences in sports.

Even in woman's tennis for example they play 3 sets instead of 5 in grand slams.

Now you can argue that some other change should be made instead of lowering the rim. They can do something else to increase popularity though I am not sure there are any changes they could make that would help that wouldn't cause blowback just like the lowering the rims.

Yes, you are correct about losing money part, I just do not think this is the solution at all, it would be just confirmation how non serious it is in my opinion. It would not help.

I do not know what can they really do, but personally I was never too scared that it is losing money, since NBA is basically the only actual basketball league that makes money overall, in the entire world. SO WNBA is just like all the other leagues, like what is the point for Real Madrid or Barcelona having Basketball teams, none from business perspective, Basketball outside NBA is not a business, it is just amenity that municipalities or big brands keeping alive to throw a bone to niche fans who might care about the niche sport. So, yeah, from logical and American point of view, Sports league losing money seems like dead on arrival proposition, but in reality, that is just state of Basketball. NBA will keep WNBA alive as a thing, just like Real Madrid keeping their basketball team as a thing, that is how I always saw it. We are nowhere close to Basketball actually being a global business of any kind, so, I do not really know, I do not think lowering rims would help any league.

[Hornet Mania]

I think it's more of a risk than it seems at first glance, but could also be a big reward.

Right now Clark is on pace to be the GOAT women's basketball player, at least in the public's opinion. It is universally acknowledged she's really good. If she goes to BIG 3 and gets smoked by some fringe NBA guys it will not be a great look and potentially hurt her mystique. On the other hand if she hangs in there and excels, even if it's only against fringe NBA talent, it would be a major feather in her cap and boost the hype even further.

Major risk/reward.

[JLei]

She'd get killed but 5 million bucks is a lot of money.

And it would be fun to watch regardless. WNBA will still be there.

[UcanUwill]

I think it's more of a risk than it seems at first glance, but could also be a big reward.

Right now Clark is on pace to be the GOAT women's basketball player, at least in the public's opinion. It is universally acknowledged she's really good. If she goes to BIG 3 and gets smoked by some fringe NBA guys it will not be a great look and potentially hurt her mystique. On the other hand if she hangs in there and excels, even if it's only against fringe NBA talent, it would be a major feather in her cap and boost the hype even further.

Major risk/reward.

Does BIG3 actually have ''fringe NBA guys'' though? In real basketball, of course fringe NBA guy would smoke Caitlin Clark, I mean obviously, but I doubt BIG3 has those guys, or do they?

I wonder how much impact her actual play do, if men beat on her on court, would it really hurt that much? Personally I do not think so, I am not under impression Caitlin Clark is as good as ''fringe NBA guys'', so I would never expect her to dominate these type of players, I wonder how the move itself would just be perceived, I imagine that would have bigger impact on her actual brand. Some people think BIG3 is cool, but some see it as a joke...

[reddyplayerone]

Well the wnba is losing money every year and is subsidized by the nba.

Wnba players are already using smaller balls so its not the same game anyway. If there were more dunks due to lowered rims, I bet viewership would go up.

At any rate its not like they are doing well currently anyway....

Lowering the rim IMO, is just basically giving up. Like, I shared many times that I have depression, and my psychiatrist sometimes say that I should get a dog or cat, but I feel, if I do that - that is just giving up. So yeah, lowering the rim, is an equivalent of lonely person getting a cat, I do not like the idea.

Also, WNBA is just not NBA. WNBA as mentioned, probably not even the most prestigious league in Womens basketball, it probably has some prestige because it borrows NBA's IP, but thats it, all the women players also play in foreign leagues, so will they just play 10 foot rim basketball for 7 months, but then gather to play WNBA 0n 8 foot rims for those two months? WNBA already suck as it is, it would be just nail in the coffin, I do not think many people would take it more seriously if they do that.

Do you know what typically happens when a business loses money? They go bankrupt.

I am sorry about your depression but this is a really bizarre and unrelated comparison.

The wnba is already different game from the nba already and women are different from men. Its natural that there will be some differences in sports.

Even in woman's tennis for example they play 3 sets instead of 5 in grand slams.

Now you can argue that some other change should be made instead of lowering the rim. They can do something else to increase popularity though I am not sure there are any changes they could make that would help that wouldn't cause blowback just like the lowering the rims.

Men are totally fine watching basketball played by men who can't dunk for crap.

Luka, Jokic, and Curry are three of the most popular players in the league today. Nobody ever talks about lowering the rim for them.

So yeah, I'm sick of this stupid argument. It's dumb and it's insulting.

[Hornet Mania]

I think it's more of a risk than it seems at first glance, but could also be a big reward.

Right now Clark is on pace to be the GOAT women's basketball player, at least in the public's opinion. It is universally acknowledged she's really good. If she goes to BIG 3 and gets smoked by some fringe NBA guys it will not be a great look and potentially hurt her mystique. On the other hand if she hangs in there and excels, even if it's only against fringe NBA talent, it would be a major feather in her cap and boost the hype even further.

Major risk/reward.

Does BIG3 actually have ''fringe NBA guys'' though? In real basketball, of course fringe NBA guy would smoke Caitlin Clark, I mean obviously, but I doubt BIG3 has those guys, or do they?

I wonder how much impact her actual play do, if men beat on her on court, would it really hurt that much? Personally I do not think so, I am not under impression Caitlin Clark is as good as ''fringe NBA guys'', so I would never expect her to dominate these type of players, I wonder how the move itself would just be perceived, I imagine that would have bigger impact on her actual brand. Some people think BIG3 is cool, but some see it as a joke...

Honestly I've never seen BIG 3, I just assumed it was NBA washouts.

I agree that informed observers would already realize Clark can't hang with G-Leaguers, but I think the general public doesn't realize that. Or the detractors would just use it as a wedge to unjustly undermine her accomplishments in her own division.

I don't even mean it as an insult, but I'm not sure the WNBA brand has more credibility than BIG 3 so that didn't cross my mind.

[JLei]

I think it's more of a risk than it seems at first glance, but could also be a big reward.

Right now Clark is on pace to be the GOAT women's basketball player, at least in the public's opinion. It is universally acknowledged she's really good. If she goes to BIG 3 and gets smoked by some fringe NBA guys it will not be a great look and potentially hurt her mystique. On the other hand if she hangs in there and excels, even if it's only against fringe NBA talent, it would be a major feather in her cap and boost the hype even further.

Major risk/reward.

Does BIG3 actually have ''fringe NBA guys'' though? In real basketball, of course fringe NBA guy would smoke Caitlin Clark, I mean obviously, but I doubt BIG3 has those guys, or do they?

I wonder how much impact her actual play do, if men beat on her on court, would it really hurt that much? Personally I do not think so, I am not under impression Caitlin Clark is as good as ''fringe NBA guys'', so I would never expect her to dominate these type of players, I wonder how the move itself would just be perceived, I imagine that would have bigger impact on her actual brand. Some people think BIG3 is cool, but some see it as a joke...

Have you seen the rosters of people in the big 3? It's basically all former NBA players or current professionals. She's not going to be able to score on/ defend guys who are 6-4 to 6-10 who are still more athletic than her.

[Ambrose]

I think it's more of a risk than it seems at first glance, but could also be a big reward.

Right now Clark is on pace to be the GOAT women's basketball player, at least in the public's opinion. It is universally acknowledged she's really good. If she goes to BIG 3 and gets smoked by some fringe NBA guys it will not be a great look and potentially hurt her mystique. On the other hand if she hangs in there and excels, even if it's only against fringe NBA talent, it would be a major feather in her cap and boost the hype even further.

Major risk/reward.

Does BIG3 actually have ''fringe NBA guys'' though? In real basketball, of course fringe NBA guy would smoke Caitlin Clark, I mean obviously, but I doubt BIG3 has those guys, or do they?

I wonder how much impact her actual play do, if men beat on her on court, would it really hurt that much? Personally I do not think so, I am not under impression Caitlin Clark is as good as ''fringe NBA guys'', so I would never expect her to dominate these type of players, I wonder how the move itself would just be perceived, I imagine that would have bigger impact on her actual brand. Some people think BIG3 is cool, but some see it as a joke...

Honestly I've never seen BIG 3, I just assumed it was NBA washouts.

I agree that informed observers would already realize Clark can't hang with G-Leaguers, but I think the general public doesn't realize that. Or the detractors would just use it as a wedge to unjustly undermine her accomplishments in her own division.

I don't even mean it as an insult, but I'm not sure the WNBA brand has more credibility than BIG 3 so that didn't cross my mind.

It's mostly retired NBA guys. Jamal Crawford, Joe Johnson, Jason Richardson, Cuttino Mobley, etc. are the bigger ones than guys like Donte Green, Quincy Miller, Larry Sanders and others who flamed out early. It's a real dilemma. Take the generational wealth (+all her WNBA earnings) but potentially ruin your mystique by being the worst player in that league or don't and pray you make close to that amount as a player in the WNBA with a sterling reputation.

[HMFFL]

Ice Cube should just make a deal with the whole WNBA. promote the hell out of it, lower the rims. Put a whole new spin on Womens basketball with talent like Caitlin Clark as the poster of it all.

Lowering the rim instantly discredits any league.

Sent from my SM-N975U using RealGM mobile app

Well the wnba is losing money every year and is subsidized by the nba.

Wnba players are already using smaller balls so its not the same game anyway. If there were more dunks due to lowered rims, I bet viewership would go up.

At any rate its not like they are doing well currently anyway....

The WNBA already has multiple blackeyes from fans criticism. I have supported the league since it began by watching. Lowering the rim is just another negative hit.

They need shooters. Maybe Caitlin Clark can come in and take the league by storm.

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[jpengland]

Take the money

The WNBA will still be there.