Duke’s Cooper Flagg was the most hyped NBA prospect since LeBron James was in high school. Flagg lived up to the expectations—even when some doubted he could put up impressive numbers. Game after game, he continued to prove that he’s destined to be the No. 1 overall pick.
The Dallas Mavericks are expected to select Flagg with their top pick. While there were rumors that the team might use the pick as leverage in a trade, head coach Jason Kidd all but confirmed that Flagg will be taken first overall.
With Flagg set to become an NBA star, he’s especially eager to face four-time NBA champion LeBron James.
“Somebody that obviously [I wanna play against] I think [is] LeBron. I think that would just be cool to be able to play against him. Obviously, I think his time is kind of coming to an end soon in the next couple of years or whatever. So I think just being able to play against him would be kind of a surreal feeling and just knowing that what he’s been able to do for the game and being able to accomplish is just insane. So I think it would be cool to play against him,” said Flagg to The Deep 3.
Flagg’s freshman season at Duke was nothing short of remarkable. He earned both ACC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors—an achievement that shouldn’t be overlooked. Still, former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski doesn’t believe Flagg is the best Blue Devil ever.
“In an interview with ‘Dusty and Danny in the Morning,’ Krzyzewski called former star Grant Hill the best player to play at Duke while adding that Flagg is ‘definitely’ the best freshman who has come through one of the sport’s most historic programs,” CBS Sports’ Cameron Salerno wrote.
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Hill had a storied NBA career, and Flagg appears primed to follow in his footsteps. While Krzyzewski may have chosen Hill due to their shared history, he still showed great respect for Flagg by naming him the best freshman to ever play at Duke.