Cooper Flagg’s rapid rise has him looking every bit like one of the NBA’s top young stars, but not everyone thinks that automatically makes him the kind of player who can carry the league’s image.
The Dallas forward, fresh off Rookie of the Year honors in 2025-26, has opened his second season with a strong early stretch. Through his first five games of 2026-27, Flagg is averaging 26.8 points, 6.6 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game, putting himself squarely in the All-NBA conversation.
That breakout start is what made Charlie Villanueva’s comments on the “To The Baha” podcast land so loudly. The former Mavericks player, who was in the NBA from 2005-16, said he did not believe a white player could be the face of the league in 2026.
“ 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?"
The exchange drew immediate attention, and Villanueva only pushed further when he revisited the topic later in the conversation.
“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?”
He also pointed to the league’s racial makeup when he later addressed the backlash 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!”
During the podcast discussion, Villanueva floated a handful of names when asked who the face of the league would be if LeBron James, Steph Curry and Kevin Durant were removed from the conversation. He mentioned Wemby, Luka, Giannis and Jokic, while another voice on the show said, “I don’t believe that. I’ll probably say next up is Ant.”
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