Caitlin Clark has done her share of side quests since her debut at NBC‘s “Sunday Night Basketball” desk.
And after doing some impressive work as a photographer during last week’s Lakers-Pacers game (and sharing a viral moment with LeBron James), she returned to the Peacock network to make the case for her GOAT.
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Joined by Maria Taylor and NBA greats Carmelo Anthony, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady, Clark asked if they had seen her photos of the King before revealing her pick for the league’s best player ever.
Feb 1, 2026; New York, New York, USA; WNBA star Caitlin Clark (left) and NBA former player Reggie Miller broadcast on the court for NBC before a game between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images© Brad Penner-Imagn Images
(© Brad Penner-Imagn Images)
Caitlin Clark names LeBron James the GOAT
“That’s my GOAT, honestly,” Clark said of the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. “I swear we made eye contact, so I sat down the camera, and I smiled at him, and he just looked at me with a straight face. I’m like ‘he didn’t even see me,’ but the photos turned out well.”
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Caitlin also talked about one of her other favorite players in Denver Nuggets big man Nikola Jokic; who she says is the best in the world right now.
“I think everybody knew he was going to do everything he could to get back. And, um, I mean, there’s not many people that average a triple-double,” she said of the three-time MVP.
“He’s done it all year long and back-to-back years, so it’s pretty incredible. And honestly, he’s probably my favorite player to watch, and I think he’s the best player in the world.”
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Michael Jordan gives his opinion on ‘Greatest of All-Time’ debates
Sitting down with CBS’ Gayle King over the weekend, Michael Jordan, the most-cited NBA GOAT, shared why he believes naming one player the greatest of all-time is a false premise.
“There’s no such thing as a GOAT in basketball, to me” Jordan explained. “It’s only because I think we learn from other athletes, we progress the game. To say that one is better than the other is not really right.”
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Jordan has mostly stayed out of those types of conversations and has said in the past that he doesn’t see a way to fairly judge across eras.
But it’s hard to imagine that with MJ’s maniacal competitiveness that he would ever say that somebody else was better than him — and he’d probably be right.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Mar 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.