Angel Reese’s relentless rebounding has drawn comparisons to NBA legends like Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone—but not everyone’s buying the hype.
On a recent episode of “Fearless” with Jason Whitlock, co-host Steve Kim pushed back hard against what he sees as premature and over-the-top fan praise. While Reese’s fanbase loves the energy she brings to the court, Kim and Whitlock argue that comparing her to Hall of Famers is a stretch, especially Karl Malone.
“She might actually really think she’s female Karl Malone,” said Kim. “I don’t think she has the overall intelligence to say, you know what, I need to pull back here. I’m a role player. Her ego will not allow that.”
Kim believes Reese feeds off the comparisons made by her fans, especially the Malone ones, and lacks the self-awareness to step away from them. “She doesn’t have the self-awareness, and her fanbase would then rebel against her because that would be looked upon as capitulation, whether it’d be justified or not,” Kim added. “I don’t think she has the wherewithal to do that.”
Whitlock, meanwhile, offered a slightly more generous take. He suggested that Reese may be maturing, pointing out her recent shift toward team play. Whitlock believes that the people can see it now—she’s passing the ball more instead of forcing four or five missed putbacks, hinting that her game might be evolving beyond just stats and swagger.
“An Absolute Insult To The Worm”: Dennis Rodman – Angel Reese Comparisons Also Get Torched
If the Karl Malone talk raised eyebrows, the Dennis Rodman comparisons triggered even more heat from Kim.
“This is the greatness of Rodman,” he said. “He was the only guy I’ve ever seen that would tip the rebound to himself two, three times, battling the biggest guys in the world. Defensively, Rodman could guard every position—and do it at an elite level.”
For Kim, comparing Reese to Rodman isn’t just wrong—it’s disrespectful. “It’s an insult to Rodman. She’s about herself,” he said flatly. “Rodman’s chaos had purpose. He helped you win games without even scoring. Reese is more focused on building her brand.”
Bottom line? Kim thinks fans need to pump the brakes. Reese may be a rising WNBA star, but in his eyes, she’s still miles away from the Malone or Rodman tier.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
