WNBA All-Star and Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark was stunned to learn of a personal sacrifice by Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James before the NBA season began
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark would retire before giving up cookies, like LeBron James(Image: Getty)
For elite athletes still competing into their 40s like Cristiano Ronaldo, Venus Williams, and Aaron Rodgers, greatness is built in the gym where peak physical conditioning has become the key to longevity.
For NBA star LeBron James, it’s continuing that mindset by walking past any batch of late-night chocolate chip cookies that present themselves in the James household. The NBA icon revealed on his Mind the Game podcast that he cut out two of his favorite indulgences: wine and dessert, as part of a personal reset ahead of the NBA season.
The admission — particularly ditching the cookies — drew a stunned response from Caitlin Clark. “I’d rather retire than do this. This is why he’s him,” she typed in the comment section of the revealing post.
While Clark’s sweet tooth continues to work, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver warns the WNBA that a lockout is nearing the ’11th hour.’
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Clark’s reaction stole the show, prompting the podcast’s official account to respond, “Real recognize real,” followed by a handshake emoji of solidarity with the Indiana Fever star.
ESPN highlighted that James avoided sweets and alcohol until after New Year’s. LeBron said the move supports his focus as the Lakers stay the fifth seed in the Western Conference.
“So I needed to give up something. I gotta sacrifice something,” he said. “I actually did two things that I very love, and that is drinking wine and my chocolate chip cookies for dessert. I completely took it out.”
WNBA star Clark said she would retire before giving up cookies(Image: Instagram (@CaitlinClark22))
James missed the first 14 games of the season and all of training camp. November became a proving ground to see if the 21-time NBA All-Star still had the willpower to “sacrifice something” for the betterment of his basketball career.
In November, James averaged 16.5 points while shooting nearly 50 percent. Before the All-Star break, he averaged 22.0 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.8 rebounds in 33.3 minutes, shooting 50.2 percent.
James set the record as the oldest NBA player to achieve a triple-double just before the clip resurfaced. In the Lakers’ 121-104 victory over the Mavericks, he scored 28 points, dished out 12 assists, grabbed 10 rebounds, and made a highlight block on Brandon Williams’s floater in the second quarter.
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Clark values cookies highly, listing them as her favorite thing outside basketball. She recalled her mom, Ann, bringing cookies to her, her Iowa teammates, and staff after games. During her rookie WNBA season, she asked her mom to bring more after a 102-66 loss to the New York Liberty.
Despite playing only 13 games last season due to multiple injuries, the Nike signature athlete debuted a custom Sesame Street x Cookie Monster-themed Nike Kobe 6 Protro that remains unreleased to the public.
Indianapolis bakery “Please and Thank You” previously collaborated with Clark on limited-edition baked goods featuring her Nike “CC” logo. Clark’s 22nd birthday was celebrated with cookies instead of a traditional cake.