Cooper Flagg’s rapid rise has him looking every bit like one of the NBA’s premier young stars, but one former Maverick stirred up plenty of reaction by questioning whether a white player can be the league’s face.
Flagg, who won Rookie of the Year in 2025-26, has opened his second season with a strong surge, averaging 26.8 points, 6.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds over his first five games of 2026-27. That start has pushed the Dallas forward into early All-NBA conversation.
Still, the conversation around Flagg shifted after Charlie Villanueva weighed in on a podcast appearance. Villanueva, who played in the NBA from 2005-16 and had a late stint with the Mavericks, was on the “To The Baha” podcast with Thoe Pinson and other former NBA players when he made the comment that drew backlash.
“ This might sound crazy, but I don’t think in 2026 a white dude could be - I’m gonna be real - could be the face of the league, if I’m being honest,” Villanueva said."Because it's a Black league, right?"
He continued later in the discussion by doubling down on the point.
"When is the last time we’ve seen a white man be the face of the league? Don’t 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?”
Villanueva also addressed the reaction on his own social media account, saying the NBA is "70 to 75 percent Black."
"I see the comments BUT I still don't think some of y'all understand what I'm trying to say," Villanueva captioned his past. "And for the record, Cooper Flagg is HIM, wanna my favorite players!"
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