Racist vs. Racial

Yesterday morning I was watching the show 1st in 10 on ESPN when they brought up a topic that is relevant to our class. They were discussing whether or not a certain college basketball player named Gordon Heyward should enter the NBA draft after only his sophomore year at Butler University. Initially they weighed the pros and cons, but then someone brought up the potential benefits for the league if a white player were to become a superstar. The entire issue was hypothetical, but it was interesting to see the different attitudes surrounding it. The reporters (both black and white) agreed that it would be good if there was another white NBA superstar, but instead of using the term "white" and including several white Europeans in the NBA, they used the term "North American Caucasian" throughout the debate. Many people argue that since Larry Bird's retirement the league has seen no such star (although some might say Steve Nash). One of the reporters (a middle-aged white male) stated that he (and friends that were around his age) would love to see a white superstar in a league that is predominately represented by African-Americans. He said that it is easier for him to relate to a player like Gordon with things like dribbling and passing, but that he could not relate to players like LeBron James (one of the most talented, strong and athletic players that the game has ever seen). When things really began to heat up, one of the reporters attempted to point out that the topic as a whole was racial and not racist. I just thought that it was weird to wake up and see this racially charged debate on TV right before we had class. Anyways I am skeptical that the whole topic was only racial. Is it racist if the one reporter and other people like him prefer a white NBA superstar? I don't know I am just trying to see if any of you have thoughts on the issue.