Caitlin Clark’s NBC debut received huge support from her teammates and fans, too. The game saw the highest number of views for a non-special-day game (Christmas) in the season. There were claims that her pre-game show also garnered more views than the actual game.
While many discussion points in the program went viral, one thing that many podcasters and analysts discussed was Clark’s comparison with Payton Pritchard. Recently, Carmelo Anthony also swopped in with his views on his ‘7 PM In Brooklyn’ podcast.
Carmelo Anthony Sees Caitlin Clark As a Mix Of Three NBA Stars
During the pre-game show, the former Indiana Pacer star said CC is like Celtics guard Payton Pritchard in terms of clutch plays. While Pritchard was on a hot scoring streak at that moment, his comparisons drew huge criticism. The Celtics’ own Paul Pierce condemned the comparison and corrected him in his podcast.
Now, Melo also swooped in and gave his views on his podcast. He said, “I was hearing it loud as s**t in my ear, and when he said Payton Pritchard, it just caught me off guard… He wasn’t completely trippin’, but he was trippin’. She got a lil’ Steph [Curry], [Tyrese] Haliburton. She play a little like Luka [Doncic]. She know angles. She manipulates your offense.”
Carmelo Anthony with his own Caitlin Clark comparison following her reaction to Reggie Miller 🗣️
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 17, 2026
"I was hearing it loud as sh*t in my ear, and when he said Payton Pritchard, it just caught me off guard… He wasn't completely trippin', but he was trippin'. She got a lil' Steph… pic.twitter.com/Wuvr5qGFkM
The 2024 WNBA rookie certainly has been a very impactful player in the league and receives a lot of praise for her offensive gameplay.
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Interestingly, all three players mentioned by the former Knicks star are somehow related to CC. Haliburton and Fever guard are close friends playing for teams under the same franchise umbrella. Similarly, the WNBA playmaker is often compared to the Warriors’ megastar due to their long-range shooting and playing styles.
As for the Lakers’ guard, he is one that the former Iowa star wants to copy on the court.
Caitlin Clark Wants To Learn From Luka Doncic’s Gameplay
During the NBC segment, the player opened up about the NBA player she wants to take notes from. Though she calls LeBron James her GOAT, the player went for Luka Doncic, who plays at the same position as Clark in the LA team.
“Luka’s amazing. He’s incredible. I think the way he can not only score the ball but also the way he passes. He’s not always the fastest, he’s not the most athletic, but he can make a defender move to where he wants him to go. He does a really good job of keeping the defender behind him or to the side. That’s something I can certainly learn from,” Clark said.
Caitlin Clark names Luka Dončić as an NBA player she can "learn from" as she tries to improve her own game. 🏀🎙️ https://t.co/tDuEIjFuFS pic.twitter.com/L73trHngOZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) February 2, 2026
The Slovenian star is currently in MVP discussions with his all-around gameplay in the 2025-26 season, just as Caitlin Clark was in the MVP talks in her rookie season.