As a long-time (until the LeBron era) Lakers fan, I am grateful that I was around to witness Showtime firsthand — Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, James Worthy, Byron Scott, Kurt Rambis, A.C. Green, and Michael Cooper.

Their rivalry with the Boston Celtics and Larry Bird throughout the eighties catapulted “the game” to unprecedented heights.  So it is with Caitlin Clark and the WNBA, or at least it could be.

But alas, resentment, racism, and bigotry (in this case, against heterosexuality) are (seemingly) more powerful than the competition, and more importantly, the opportunity to catapult “the women’s game” beyond the abysmal ratings that it has experienced since its inception.

In the eighties, during the Lakers/Celtics run, race was all but irrelevant to the game.  That’s not to say that race was entirely irrelevant, but it didn’t cause me (a Caucasian person) to root for Larry Bird ahead of my beloved Lakers.  Magic was my guy.  Showtime was my team.

Today’s game is mired, as is (seemingly) the rest of society, in race and race grievance — Obama’s America.  Envy has taken front-row seats in the Caitlin Clark era.

This past week, it was reported that Caitlin Clark was left off the U.S. Olympic Women’s Basketball Team, with reports that “there were concerns about her millions of fans” being upset that she wouldn’t have gotten any playing time.  This rationale is interesting on two fronts.  One: Those “millions of fans” would have watched the Olympic games, and two: Playing time would have been what it was.  If Clark were put in to help the team, then her playing time would be justified by her production.

The Olympics is bigger than the games.  It is a representation of who we are as a nation.  As it is, the USA Women’s Basketball Team will go to Paris and represent (Obama’s and Biden’s) America — race division and strife.

I watched (as millions did) the Iowa/LSU semi-final between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.  I watched the NCAA Women’s final game between Iowa and South Carolina.  I found the games competitive and entertaining.

Our current USA team will be favored to win, but if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear, will it make a sound?

Caitlin Clark would have elevated the Paris Olympics, and I believe (as a fan of Magic Johnson) that, coupled with other great talent, she would have changed the women’s game as Showtime changed the men’s game in the eighties.  For balance, I could envision Angel Reese filling the wing, as “Big Game James” (Worthy) did for the Lakers.

Send Caitlin and Angel, and let the games begin.  Showtime!

Image via Raw Pixel.