To be clear, Peter Rosenberg doesn’t think that Cooper Flagg’s impact on the NBA will be similar to the one that Caitlin Clark has already made in the WNBA.
That, however, didn’t stop the ESPN personality from invoking the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year during a debate involving the Dallas Mavericks on Friday’s episode of First Take.
The conversation began with host Molly Qerim replaying a statement Tim MacMahon made on Thursday, in which the ESPN reporter proclaimed the San Antonio Spurs to be the most “intriguing” NBA team in Texas. But while Rosenberg conceded that might be true from a pure basketball perspective thanks to Victor Wembanyama, he also made the case for the Mavericks for a very different reason.
Flagg, in case you haven’t noticed, is white.
“We’re all adults. We can have a real-life conversation,” Rosenberg said. “Last time I checked, we still live in America. Cooper Flagg is a white guy, maybe the best white American prospect since Larry Bird. Let’s not act as if we don’t live in America and we’re not seeing what’s happening with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA.
“Cooper Flagg is going to be an instant impact player in the NBA…. that kid can play right now. If he’s nearly as good as people expect, I think when it comes to intrigue — actual intrigue, that people are talking about day-to-day — no one’s going to be more intriguing or get more eyeballs than what Cooper Flagg’s doing in Dallas.”
Peter Rosenberg: “Cooper Flagg is a white guy, maybe the best white American prospect since Larry Bird. Let’s not act as if we don’t live in America and we’re not seeing what’s happening with Caitlin Clark in the WNBA… if he’s nearly as good as people expect… no one’s going… pic.twitter.com/15nKGXIpi0
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 27, 2025
While it’s unclear whether Rosenberg was attempting to make a Flagg-Clark comparison, he didn’t back down when Qerim presented his stance in such manner. Although he later added that Flagg “will not be to the NBA what Caitlin Clark is to the WNBA in Year 1,” he stood by the idea that the 18-year-old’s skin color could make him a cultural phenomenon if he lives up to the hype on the court.
On the one hand, it’s easy to see what Rosenberg is getting at; it would be naïve to think that race hasn’t played a role in at least some of Clark’s popularity. And if Flagg does live up to his potential as a player, it would certainly be interesting to see what type of following that garners.
Conversely, however, Rosenberg seems to be underrating just how much of Clark’s fame also has to do with her playing style, which isn’t particularly similar to Flagg’s. Although the intent of Rosenberg’s comments seem clear, the comparison remained a bit clumsy nonetheless.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.