Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson made a bold comparison on Monday when he wrote on social media about budding WNBA stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.

While Clark and Reese have both downplayed any notion of a rivalry between the two, Johnson compared their situation to his and Larry Bird when the two were in the NBA in the late 1970s.

Magic Johnson in 1988

Magic Johnson, of the Los Angeles Lakers, stands on the court during an NBA game at the Great Western Forum in Los Angeles in 1988. (Mike Powell/Getty Images)

Johnson and Bird’s rivalry culminated in a 1979 National Championship game between Magic’s Michigan State and Larry’s Indiana State. The game marked the beginning of a lengthy rivalry that veered into the NBA between the Lakers and Boston Celtics. Multiple NBA championships were won between the two players, and Johnson thinks he is seeing the same in the WNBA.

“When I think about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s impact on the game, they remind me a lot of Larry Bird and me. Our first meeting, Indiana State vs. Michigan State, in the NCAA Championship set the all-time viewership record for men’s basketball,” he wrote on X. “Caitlin and Angel’s 2023 NCAA Championship matchup and their 2024 Elite Eight games were the highest viewership records at the time.

Johnson and Bird’s rivalry culminated in a 1979 National Championship game between Magic’s Michigan State and Larry’s Indiana State. The game marked the beginning of a lengthy rivalry that veered into the NBA between the Lakers and Boston Celtics. Multiple NBA championships were won between the two players, and Johnson thinks he is seeing the same in the WNBA.

“When I think about Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese’s impact on the game, they remind me a lot of Larry Bird and me. Our first meeting, Indiana State vs. Michigan State, in the NCAA Championship set the all-time viewership record for men’s basketball,” he wrote on X. “Caitlin and Angel’s 2023 NCAA Championship matchup and their 2024 Elite Eight games were the highest viewership records at the time.

“It’s just competition,” Reese said. “I mean, they still got us, they are one up on us. So I’m just happy for the team. And I want to make it about us. Chicago, they came out tonight, so I’m just happy for us.”

Whatever they call it, it’s been must-watch TV for the WNBA.