"It's stupid" - NBA analyst brutally crushes hype around Cooper Flagg becoming face of the league

The debate around the face of the league continues and now includes Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg, who is considered a top pick in the next NBA draft. Michelle Beadle, an NBA analyst, debunked the discussions.

On Friday's "Run It Back" posted on X, Beadle discussed the face of the NBA conversations with former NBA guard Lou Williams. They mentioned Jay Williams' comments on Thursday's "First Take," saying that the 18-year-old could possibly be part of the face of the league debates in the future.

"If Duke wins and Cooper Flagg wins, it becomes way bigger than just basketball," Williams said. "And then it becomes, could he be the face of the league moving forward?"

Lou Williams argued that Jay Williams may be biased as he is from Duke. Beadle and the three-time Sixth Man of the Year added that Flagg has about "20 faces in front" before becoming the face of the league.

Beadle further slammed Jay Williams' takes, claiming that there won't be "hundreds" of fans awaiting Flagg:

"Show me when he lands in his town that's gonna draft him, if there's hundreds of people waiting for him out there," Beadle said. "There's not gonna be. That's what a face does."

The analyst crushed Flagg's case for the face of the league:

"This whole anointing Cooper Flagg the face of the league is just, it's stupid," Beadle said. "Who is Cooper Flagg? Who are you? Get out of here."

According to the post, Beadle leans toward San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama as the face of the NBA.

"Spurs didn't become a playoff team right away and they got an actual unicorn," Beadle said.

Lou Williams, who holds the NBA record for most career points off the bench (13,396), advised the 6-foot-9 star that there is much work to do, starting with getting drafted.

Cooper Flagg is compared to NBA legend Larry Bird

Veteran sports analyst Skip Bayless compared collegiate star Cooper Flagg to Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and three-time NBA champion Larry Bird.

On Friday, Bayless tweeted his comments amid the Duke Blue Devils' 93-49 win against Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers. The analyst said that the Boston Celtics legend could not jump like Flagg.

"Cooper Flagg back in, with a big slam and tongue-out celebration. Kid's an explosive leaper at 6-9. Bird sure couldn't jump like this," Bayless wrote.

Flagg remains focused on his team's campaign in this year's NCAA Tournament. The prospect has yet to decide whether to stay with Duke for another year or enter the 2025 NBA draft, where he is the projected No. 1 pick.