For the cornerstone of four NBA championship teams, it’s the sister league that became the future of basketball. John Salley made his stance on the WNBA very clear, and it pre-dated the Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers era. Speaking with Lisa Guerrero on her podcast Unleashed, Salley firmly declared that he prefers watching the women’s game over its NBA counterpart.
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When Guerrero asked Salley for his take on the explosive media coverage and drama following WNBA stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Sophie Cunningham, he told his former Best Damn Sports Show Period co-host about the drama, passion, and unique appeal surrounding modern women’s basketball.
“First thing, I’m going say this. I love women, but I’ve always been attracted to athletic women,” Salley explained.
Imagine sitting down with someone who’s seen it all in basketball, a former NBA big man and former Detroit Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers star, and hearing him say, ‘My love for women’s basketball goes way back.’ He didn’t just say it – he pointed to a specific moment: July 30, 2002. That was an early Los Angeles Sparks game where Lisa Leslie made history. That’s the game that sparked his lifelong appreciation for the WNBA.
“I took my daughters to the first Sparks game, I think it was, when Lisa Leslie dunked the ball. And my daughter wanted me go to McDonald’s and the only thing I can get is nothing. And I get up and I look at the camera and I watch her dunk and I look at Giovanna, she goes, ‘Sorry, daddy.’ I was like, I was on court. I was right there. I could have seen it. I’ve been a fan of it since I was a senior in high school.”
Salley went on to point out how the off-court storylines and intensity in the WNBA differ from men’s professional basketball, while praising the raw, physical product on the floor.
“Some of the drama that’s not happened in the NBA yet are some of these girls are married to girls who also play. And those girls play and they’re getting caught in in life scandals, which is a different thing, which I know they don’t want anybody to talk about it because it takes away from the game. And I just started paying way more attention to what they were doing. They don’t cry like they do in the NBA. Their flopping is nowhere close to the flopping in the NBA and the flagrant fouls and the scary.”
He also cited well known WNBA fan, Kevin Durant in praising the product. “I’m like KD. I’d rather watch a WNBA game than watch an NBA game.“
Salley’s endorsement comes amid a massive surge in WNBA viewership and media coverage. While some commentators focus on the court drama and rivalries surrounding high-profile rookies and veterans, basketball purists have increasingly praised the league for preserving team-oriented play and defensive game that impresses gritty defenders like Spider.
Salley was someone who brought the fundamentals of defense and shot-blocking. He even helped Phil Jackson re-execute the Bulls’ triangle offense with the Shaq & Kobe Lakers.
His preference for the WNBA is a common sentiment among NBA veterans who appreciate the basketball basics that define the women’s game over the NBA’s highlight culture and perimeter isolation.
By sticking to team play and the fundamentals that make the game special, the WNBA has won over legends like Kevin Durant and Salley. It’s clear proof that basketball isn’t broken, it’s thriving.