Jeff Teague Ignored Nancy Lieberman's Phone Call After Sparking Rivalry Over Caitlin Clark

Former NBA player turned podcaster Jeff Teague is fueling a newfound rivalry with basketball Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman, 67, after the famed women's basketball player called Teague's career average at best.

CLEVELAND, OH - MAY 24:  Jeff Teague #0 of the Atlanta Hawks reacts in overtime against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2015 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena on May 24, 2015 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

LAS VEGAS, NV - JULY 16: Nancy Lieberman attends the game between the Chigaco Sky and the Las Vegas Aces on July 16, 2024 at Michelob ULTRA Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/NBAE via Getty Images)

Lieberman's comments came during a podcast interview with the "3 and Ones" show, in response to Teague calling WNBA phenom Caitlin Clark "good, not great."

Teague, 37, said he was not trying to produce a hot take by rating Clark a notch below her superstardom.

"I don't agree with Jeff Teague, who I read today said, 'Caitlin Clark, well, she's just a good player. She's not a great player,'" Lieberman said.

READ: Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman Shreds Ex-NBA Player Jeff Teague

"Jeff, I love you. You weren't a great player. You were serviceable. I know you made the All-Star team one time. So, I'm sorry, if we're going to be honest, I'm happy for your career."

Now, the temperamental ex-NBA guard has set his sights on Lieberman for taking a shot at his NBA career, having already fired off comments at Lieberman over her son's failed attempts at the NBA.

Teague responded last Tuesday with the following: "Lol, you got it, OG. I ain't gonna fry [diss] you. Just said I think she's good [Clark], not great.... I think Kelsey [Mitchell] is better, that's all, but I'm serviceable, that's kind of true, my career was. Kind of like your son's in the Big 3; only thing is my mom didn't draft me, nah, I'm joking, s/o [shoutout] to y'all."

The latest development in their beef is perhaps the most surprising and not in Teague's favor.

In his recent podcast episode, Teague shared that Lieberman reached out to him with a phone call.

The often-petty Teague said he refused to answer Lieberman's call and promptly deleted the voicemail message she left, hoping to patch things up.

"Nancy Lieberman turned me up," Teague said. "Let me tell y'all, she called me. Yeah, I ain't answering her."

Teague expressed shock at the idea of Lieberman trying to remain civil away from the public eye but took more shots at her.

"She said, hey, give me a call. I deleted it. … You can't get in a fire and then, like, try to, behind the scenes, like, let's cool the fire down."

Lieberman's comments gained traction as more people discovered Teague's head-scratching claim about Caitlin Clark.

While not taking a deliberate shot at Clark, Teague certainly fanned the flames of fan discourse by not giving her credit for elevating the WNBA into a national spectacle.

The Basketball Hall of Famer said Clark's start in the WNBA is on a better track than Teague's career ever was in terms of heightening the league's popularity.

By most accounts, Lieberman had the better diss, though Teague refuses to back down, giving basketball fans a new rivalry to track off the court.

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com / Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela