Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson led the way when NBA players were asked to name their favorite star outside of the league.
Jackson was the top answer in an anonymous poll conducted by The Athletic’s Sam Amick and Josh Robbins, with 15 of the 115 respondents picking him. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark was next on the list with seven votes. Tennis great Novak Djokovic was third (five votes) and followed by track legend Usain Bolt, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson (four votes).
One of the players polled said Jackson is “one of the best QBs ever since he came into the league.”
The three-time Pro Bowler won his second MVP in 2023 after throwing for 3,678 yards and 24 touchdowns while running for 821 yards and five scores. He continues to be a singular talent in the NFL thanks to his dual-threat abilities.
Clark elicited some praise in the NBA player poll, too, on the heels of her record-breaking college career.
“She’s unreal,” one said of the 2024 No 1 overall pick. “I’m excited to see how her journey pans out and what she does for the women’s game.”
Clark averaged 28.4 points and 8.2 assists per game and was a two-time national player of the year during her run at Iowa.
Amick and Robbins noted how the poll reflected the growing popularity of the women’s game as a whole. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese and USC guard JuJu Watkins both collected two votes, and the New Liberty’s Sabrina Ionescu and Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum were named as well.
Given what she did as a freshman for the Trojans, Watkins may be the name to watch if this question is once again asked of NBA players for next year’s exercise.
