Cooper Flagg will face same ‘enormous pressure’ as Caitlin Clark ‘because he’s white’, says ESPN analyst
He hasn’t even started college yet, but two ESPN analysts are already concerned about how Cooper Flagg will be perceived by his peers and in the media.
The hype surrounding Flagg has only increased in recent days after he put on a clinic and dominated a select team practice against the US Olympic team in Las Vegas.
Considered one of the top high school basketball prospects in the country, Flagg was recruited by big schools like Duke and UConn, eventually settling on Duke.
But “Pardon the Interruption” hosts Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon worry that Flagg, like Caitlin Clark, will be used as a symbol for racial tensions between black and white players in the league — even though Flagg and Clark don’t want that.
“Look, he was the number one recruit and it’s very special that he’s going to Duke,” Kornheiser said.
Two ESPN analysts already fear that Cooper Flagg will face enormous pressure as a white player
They compared his potential pressure to the pressure Indiana Fever player Caitlin Clark faces
“Let’s look at the real facts, okay? Because he’s going to Duke and because he’s a white player, there’s going to be assumptions made and statements made.
“That’s the nature of what we’re dealing with here, just like with Caitlin Clark. I hope he’s a great player, but the pressure on him will be enormous.
‘You and I talk about this on the radio and off: Will there be another great white American basketball player, kind of like Larry Bird? And if so, will he be allowed to just be a basketball player or will all these cultural ideas overwhelm him?’
Wilbon shared similar sentiments: “I hope this kid has a stomach for this Tone with parents that can help and teammates that can help. But Tony, this is real.
“People don’t really want to talk about Caitlin Clark. This is new. It’s still new in women’s sports. But there’s not going to be the same restraint and reticence when it comes to Cooper Flagg and Duke.”
Flagg will play his first year at Duke under coach Jon Scheyer this year and is expected to enter the NBA Draft afterward.
Flagg is already being considered the top pick in that draft class.