“Been called reverse racist”: Skip Bayless gets 100% honest on Cooper Flagg ceiling amid white player comparisons

Skip Bayless compared Cooper Flagg to Boston Celtics great Larry Bird on Wednesday via a tweet. The veteran sports talk show host claimed that the No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA draft is “the closest thing” to the basketball Hall of Famer. Bayless congratulated the Dallas Mavericks for getting a two-way player, who he said would be in Bird’s “universe.”

Bayless doubled down on his Flagg-Bird comparison in his podcast less than 24 hours later. The Fox Sports analyst said:

(4:40 mark)

“Well, if you've followed my career, when it came to basketball, I've never had much respect for - much USE for - white American players. In fact, many, many times over my career, I've often been called reverse racist. But, come on. Show me a white American player remotely close to Larry Bird since he retired in 1992.”

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Bayless noted that white American players are often “stiff,” an issue that routinely gives the advantage to athletic and mobile Black players. In Cooper Flagg’s case, the FS1 analyst emphasized that the 6-foot-9 forward has athleticism in spades that “Larry Bird never thought of having.”

Flagg has a long way to go before sniffing Bird’s legendary career. The Boston Celtics icon was a three-time champ, a two-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time MVP and a 12x All-Star. Some still call him the greatest small forward to play basketball.

Still, Skip Bayless saw enough of Cooper Flagg’s potential to compare him to the great “Hick from French Lick.”

Skip Bayless claimed Cooper Flagg would change “life in Dallas”

Skip Bayless promptly went on X (formerly Twitter) to react to the Dallas Mavericks winning the 2025 NBA lottery. With only a 1.8% chance to get the No. 1 pick, the Mavs bucked the odds.

Bayless had this to say in mid-May after the Mavericks won the right to the No. 1 pick:

“[Mavericks GM] Nico Harrison just hit the lottery! … I’m not saying Cooper Flagg is quite Wemby [Wembanyama], but he’s close. He is going to change life in Dallas. Mavericks fans, congratulations. You just got your new Luka [Doncic].”

Harrison headed into the draft lottery bringing all sorts of pressure and criticism after trading Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers in early February. Three months later, the Mavericks bounced back by winning the Flagg sweepstakes.

The Mavericks, as expected, used the No. 1 pick Wednesday on Cooper Flag. After comparing him to Doncic and Wembanyama, Skip Bayless went a step higher by putting Flagg in the same breath as the legendary Larry Bird. Following an impressive one-and-done season with Duke, Bayless might be spot-on with his lofty comparisons for the new toast in Dallas.

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About the author

Michael Macasero

Michael Macasero brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to his coverage of basketball at Sportskeeda with over 18 years of diverse work experience. This includes stints at Convergys, Interpace and RunRepeat.

Michael's background in English and Journalism has provided him with the analytical skills and precision necessary for creating content, and he is a lifelong fan of the Boston Celtics. His favorite players include legends like Larry Bird and Michael Jordan, modern stars like Tim Duncan, and Nikola Jokic, as well as emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Michael respects Gregg Popovich, despite his contentious demeanor in interviews, and recognizes Popovich's genius in adapting his coaching style to maximize the talent on his roster over the years. Michael eagerly anticipates seeing how Popovich will structure the offense around emerging talent like Victor Wembanyama.

Understanding the story and details is crucial to Michael's reporting philosophy and he believes overlooking details, particularly when pressed for time, can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate conclusions.

Aside from work, Michael's children are his hobbies, and he also likes to go running, swimming and weightlifting.

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