The Bill Simmons Podcast welcomed a familiar guest in its latest episode. Milwaukee Bucks’ coach and Simmons’ former nemesis, Doc Rivers. While the two grabbed headlines regularly for their feud during Doc’s time in Boston, the relationship has since improved significantly, with the two having become golf buddies as well.
Although the episode primarily discussed Game 5 of the NBA Finals and Jalen Williams’ heroics in the same. The discussion moved towards what defines a superstar of the game. And while your usual suspects, LeBron James and Steph Curry, did come up, Doc believes none trump Caitlin Clark’s influence right now.
Doc Rivers Running High on the Caitlin Clark Fever
Simmons said that true superstars are those who can sell out opposing arenas because they are so good that fans want to watch them, even if they’re playing for the other team. As Rivers agreed with the host, he began to cite examples of such players in today’s game.
“Steph has it all the time, you know, so you can watch him play. LeBron in his hay-day, you know, just his passing, you would pay to watch him play. Giannis, you would pay, you just would go and [wonder] what are they going to do tonight.” Rivers said while admitting such talents are rare. “It’s not a long list.”
However, when Simmons mentioned Clark in the conversation, Rivers gave her the ultimate praise, even comparing her to the legend Pete Maravich. “Listen, Caitlin Clark is Pistol Pete. She really is.” Rivers said. “It’s funny in college, everyone was mesmerized by her shooting. I’m like, that’s the least of her game, it’s her passing.” And while there has been no doubt about Clark selling out arenas ever since she stepped into the league, Doc believes Clark checks off another parameter to superstardom.
Doc Rivers with HIGH PRAISE for Caitlin Clark 👏 pic.twitter.com/YlTKlC5lIf
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 19, 2025
“When you watch Caitlin Clark’s team play, they run the floor, you know why? Because they know they’re going to get the ball, they make cuts because they know they’re going to get the ball. And that’s what a superstar does for a team right there.” Rivers’ analysis of Clark appears tried and tested.
As a matter of fact, it is a common notion when you judge the most successful stars, too. Curry and James, whom Rivers mentions, have always been vocal about using their gravity to free up teammates, making them just that hard to blitz or double.
And while the men’s game has seen plenty of superstars throughout its rich history, the women’s game is still on the rise. Although the league is seeing an influx of talent like never before, the drop in viewers during Clark’s quad injury reiterates just how crucial she is to the WNBA right now.
During the period of her injury, nationally televised WNBA viewership reportedly plummeted by around 55%, and Indiana Fever’s national TV games saw a 53% drop in average viewers. Before her injury, Fever games with Clark averaged 1.81 million viewers, which fell to approximately 847,000 viewers in her absence.
So while the writing is surely on the wall, Rivers decided to make sure everyone takes notice. “She is an absolute superstar. She may be the biggest superstar in basketball right now or top three.” Rivers boldly claimed. So if you still don’t believe it, you’ve got to get a piece of the Clark experience.
