LeBron Hypes Cooper Flagg, Anthony Davis, Kyrie, Klay, Kidd Before 2025 NBA Draft
Ahead of Wednesday's 2025 NBA draft, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James praised projected No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and the situation he will likely land in with the Dallas Mavericks.
Speaking Tuesday on his Mind the Game podcast (beginning at the 18:35 mark), James broke down Flagg's game and what he thinks will allow him to be successful at the next level:
"I personally think that he wants to be great. He had a hell of a year at Duke. A guy that can do so many different things on the floor. He can play with the ball, play without the ball. His jump shot is gonna continue to get better, super athletic, quick second jump."
LeBron went on to express his belief that Flagg will be aided immensely by a veteran-laden team in Dallas, featuring three potential future Hall of Fame players in Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson, and a head coach in Jason Kidd who was a Hall of Fame player as well:
"He has the benefit, unlike myself, he gets to join a team that's established with Hall of Fame guys. ... These guys, they can give him the whole blueprint while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be. And I think that's gonna be an incredible thing for him to have. That type of presence, that type of leadership, that type of basketball knowledge and IQ around him every single day from those pieces. I think he's gonna be amazing."
While Flagg won't officially be an NBA player until Wednesday, James already has some experience going up against him in an unofficial capacity.
Last summer, Flagg was part of the USA Select Team, which practiced and scrimmaged against the United States men's national team that went on to win the gold medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Beginning at the 20:40 mark of this week's podcast, LeBron talked about what he saw out of Flagg in those scrimmages, noting that he "played extremely well."
James went on to call Flagg a "winner," adding that he made "winning plays" while the leading the way for the Select Team before ever taking the court in a college basketball game, let alone the NBA.
Given that he was chosen for the Select Team and was the consensus top recruit in the nation entering his freshman year at Duke, expectations were through the roof for Flagg entering the 2024-25 campaign.
Despite that, he met and arguably even exceeded them by leading Duke to the Final Four, winning ACC Player of the Year honors and becoming only the fourth freshman to be named the Naismith College Player of the Year.
Flagg led the Blue Devils in essentially every major category, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals per game, while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Because of that, every indication is that the Mavs will make him the No. 1 overall pick and the new face of the franchise on Wednesday.
The Mavericks are only one year removed from reaching the NBA Finals, and although they have since traded superstar guard Luka Dončić to the Lakers, a core of Flagg, Irving, Davis, Thompson, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II and PJ Washington has a chance to do damage in the Western Conference as soon as next season.
