Former NBA All-Star says he would put up ‘Wilt numbers’ against A’ja Wilson originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The WNBA’s popularity has never been higher, and the level of talent in the league right now is greater than at any point in the league’s 30-year history.
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So leave it to Jeff Teague to voice the most ludicrous take possible about it.
Speaking on a live edition of his “Club 520” podcast on YouTube, Teague declared that he would have “Wilt Chamberlain numbers” — i.e., he would score 100 points — in a WNBA game. The one-time NBA All-Star even took a shot at A’ja Wilson, widely regarded as the WNBA’s best player, who is a three-time champion and the league’s only four-time MVP in addition to being a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
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“I’m 215 (pounds), bro. I doubt (Wilson) probably weighs about 170,” Teague said. “(Defenders) can’t check her, they damn sure can’t check me.”
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Teague’s comments are the latest indication that many in the sphere of men’s basketball still don’t understand — let alone respect — the talent and professionalism of the WNBA’s stars.
Last November, Michael Porter Jr. drew controversy by saying that he could have beaten a WNBA All-Star team when he was eight years old. In the six months since, the league has agreed to a historic new CBA that has raised player salaries into the millions of dollars for the first time. The league’s new $3.1 billion media rights deal took effect just this season, and broadcast presentation of WNBA games finally matches the standard of the basketball being played.
However, this just isn’t enough for ignoramuses like Porter and Teague. Wilson and the WNBA’s other superstars will just have to keep proving them wrong.
