The NBA has several young stars who could shape the league's future. Victor Wembanyama and Cooper Flagg are already part of that conversation, with both showing the potential to become leading figures in the league.
However, former NBA guard Gilbert Arenas believes Flagg could receive a bigger marketing push than Wembanyama because he is American. During a discussion with Danny Green and DeMarcus Cousins, Arenas explained that Flagg would be easier to sell to domestic sponsors.
“I’m talking about marketing. Remember, I can sell Cooper Flagg to my companies. It’s hard to sell overseas guys,” Arenas said.
He added that the NBA considers which players can help attract major sponsorship deals. Arenas also argued that American players have an advantage when companies want someone available for promotional meetings.
Though fans on the internet were divided on the former NBA star’s opinion about the young talents.
“Wemby has broken many viewership records this is just false lol,” a fan wrote.
“Wemby seems to have a more interesting personality than Flagg and he’s a 7’5 generational talent. He will always be more marketable, nobody cares about the fact he’s not American,” another one added.
Article Continues Below“this dude stay hating on international players,” a third fan commented.
“Tweeting Gil’s arena takes in 2026,” a fan wrote while adding a skeptical GIF.
Flagg is averaging 25.2 points, 6.5 assists, and 5.7 rebounds for Dallas this season. Wembanyama is averaging 25.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 4.0 blocks for San Antonio. Their performances will likely keep them in the conversation about the league's next generation of faces.