BOBBY BURACK: The anti-white resistance is already beginning for Cooper Flagg

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg is 19 years old and already one of the best basketball players in the world.

Last week, ESPN analyst Jeremy Lin called him "generational" and said he and Victor Wembanyama could become the NBAs next great rivalry.

Flagg has also drawn favorable comparisons to at the same age, including from Brian Windhorst.

"In my view, Cooper is better at defense than LeBron was at the same age. I dont even think its debatable," Windhorst said.

"There were defensive plays LeBron made at that age. He certainly would get into passing lanes, he certainly would block shots, he was a defensive playmaker, but Cooper is better defensively, empirically; I dont think thats debatable."

Flagg is averaging 27 points, six rebounds and seven assists during his second season.

A phenom of Flaggs caliber should be a gift to the NBA as some of its biggest stars, including LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant, approach the end of their careers. Instead, his rise may expose the worst instincts in sports.

Cooper Flagg is White. For some members of the basketball community, that is a problem. Former NBA player Charlie Villanueva is one of them.

Villanueva discussed Flaggs rising stardom on the "To The Baha" podcast last week. According to Villanueva, Flagg cannot become the face of the NBA because of his skin color.

"This might sound crazy, but I dont think in 2026 a White dude could be, Im gonna be real, could be the face of the league, if Im being honest," Villanueva said. "Because its a Black league, right?"

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He then argued that a White player cannot become the best player in the NBA.

"When is the last time weve seen a White man be the face of the league? Dont say Larry Bird, they had to pair him up with Magic," Villanueva said. "When was the last time a White man was single-handedly the best player in the league?"

That talking point was predictable. OutKick predicted it days after Flagg became the first overall pick out of Duke last season.

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For the past three to four years, several former Black players comfortably expressed belittling views of White players.

The hysteria surrounding Caitlin Clark began with the claim that her popularity and stardom resulted from "White privilege." Black players have called Luka Doncic a "bitch ass white boy" on the court. ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins falsely accused NBA MVP voters of favoring Nikola Jokic because he is white, likely costing him the award in 2023.

More recently, Stephen A. Smith claimed a team could not win a championship built around white players. Former broadcaster Mark Jones has posted several bigoted messages about Jokic. Gilbert Arenas has joked about exiling white players from the league.