University of Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark set a new record for career scoring in major college basketball in March. This is during National Women’s Month, dedicated to honoring and celebrating the important role of women in American history.
Clark’s historic performance has been well-received by fans. The most recent record-breaking game drew 3.39 million viewers, making it the most-watched regular season women’s college basketball game since 1999. The viewership peaked at 4.42 million as she neared the record.
The men’s NBA games on the same day, Celtics-Warriors and Sixers-Mavs, attracted three million and 1.7 million viewers respectively. This showcases a victory for Clark and women's basketball.
This season, Clark was named Big Ten Player of the Week an impressive 11 times. In a win over Ohio State, she achieved her 19th game with over 35 points, five assists, and five rebounds, which is the best in women's NCAA basketball since the 2009-2010 season.
For the third consecutive season, Clark was unanimously named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year. Leading the nation with 30 games scoring 20 points or more, she is the only player this year with over 900 points, 250 assists, and 175 rebounds.
She is almost guaranteed to be the number one pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.
Some critics claim that Clark only surpassed the legendary Pete Maravich in career scoring because she played four seasons in college with a three-point line, while Maravich played three seasons with no three-point line. This is because freshmen were not eligible to play during Maravich’s collegiate years.
Comparisons between the two players are inevitable, but perhaps it would be better to simply appreciate what Clark and Maravich achieved without feeling the need to constantly share negative opinions with the world.
It is unreasonable to compare such different factors related to record-setters. Changes in players, coaches, rules, equipment, training methods, schedules, and other factors make it illogical to compare directly. Rather, let’s appreciate the moments without negativity, as many record holders have reminded us, 'records are made to be broken.'
It was a pleasure to watch the flashy and entertaining “Pistol Pete” Maravich during his playing days at LSU (1967/68 to 1969/70) and then in the NBA (1970 -1980). It is now exciting to see Clark elevate women’s college basketball to new heights. It may be surprising, but tickets to a women's basketball game in Iowa are in high demand, thanks to Clark and her coaches and teammates.
This serves as a valuable lesson about teamwork and humility that everyone should take note of.
Clark deserves thanks for bringing attention back to Maravich and introducing him to a new generation.
Pete was destined to play basketball. His dad, “Press” Maravich, was a former pro player and coach, so Pete learned the game early on. He spent a lot of time practicing dribbling, shooting, ball control, faking out opponents, and other basics, while his father watched to keep him focused.
Press Maravich started coaching at LSU when Pete was choosing a college, so that's where he decided to play. He couldn't play for the varsity team due to a NCAA rule, but he scored 741 points for LSU’s freshmen team. He gained even more recognition over the next three years, often scoring from long range or showing off his advanced ball handling ability.
Maravich excelled as a player and entertainer, and achieved numerous awards and honors. LSU retired his jersey number 23 to honor his achievements.
Pete continued to rack up accolades as he played for the Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz, and Boston Celtics. He was an NBA All Star five times, named to the All-NBA First Team and All-NBA Second Team, and earned other titles and honors.
His jersey number 44 was retired by the Atlanta Hawks, and number 7 retired by both the Utah Jazz and the New Orleans Pelicans. Pete retired with 15,948 points, 2,747 rebounds, and 3,562 assists. He was honored by being named to the College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and was among the NBA's Top 75 greatest players.
Sadly, Pete Maravich died at 40 in 1988 from a rare congenital heart defect. His athletic career was even more remarkable given this defect.
Pete’s final words, just before he passed away, were reported as, “I feel great.”
Let’s all recognize the greatness of these two legends. Caitlin Clark and Pete Maravich deserve no less.
