Before landing with the Los Angeles Lakers in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks that rocked the NBA and professional sports in general, Luka Doncic was a bona fide superstar and in contention for being the face of the league when LeBron James walks away from the game.
After going from the Mavericks in Dallas to the 17-time NBA champion Lakers, who play in the second-largest market in the United States, Donic’s superstardom has reached another level and is coming off being the leading vote-getter in the NBA All-Star Game for the first time in his career.
Nick Wright’s Bold Take on Luka Doncic and Caitlin Clark
Nick Wright believes Caitlin Clark is more famous than players like Luka Dončić.
“The single most famous basketball player under the age of 35 is Caitlin Clark.”
(🎥 @WhatsWrightShow )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 18, 2026
Even though Doncic is experiencing stardom on another level entirely while playing in Los Angeles, much like those that came before him, including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James, Nick Wright of FOX Sports believes the face of the WNBA, Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever, is the “most famous basketball player” under 35 years old.
“The single most famous basketball player under the age of 35 years old is Caitlin Clark,” Wright said. “The three most famous basketball players right now are 41-year-old LeBron James, and then 37, 38-year-old Stephen KD. Anthony Edwards, Luka, Jokic, Giannis, those guys have not ascended to that level, and that is the major issue facing the league, that they don’t right now have a solve to, and they’re hoping Wimby will solve it.”
Wright is in the hot-take business, so he has to come up with these kinds of statements, but he’s way off here, including international superstars like Doncic, Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
There’s no doubt that Clark is a superstar on the rise and already a household name in this country, but to claim she’s more famous than Doncic, Antetokounmpo and Jokic is a stretch, to say the least, as she doesn’t have the same presence overseas that these three have and it’s likely she never will.
She has quickly become the face of the WNBA and has a bright future with the Fever, but unless something drastically changes, it’s hard to imagine her having the same level of worldwide popularity as the best and brightest in the NBA under 35.
Caitlin Clark Marvels at LeBron James’ Sacrifices
With LeBron James turning 41 in December of 2025, the four-time NBA champion has had to make some sacrifices to keep playing at a high level for the Lakers. He’s given up alcohol and, funny enough, chocolate chip cookies, which Clark reacted to on Instagram.
“I’d rather retire than do this. This is why he’s him,” Clark wrote on Instagram.
In James’ record-setting 23rd season in the NBA, the Lakers superstar continues to put up impressive numbers, averaging 22.0 points, 7.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game, while shooting 50.2 percent from the floor and 30.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Even though most of these numbers are down from his normal production, it’s still been remarkable what he’s been able to do during what could be his last season in the NBA.