Arguably the perfect NBA participant of the twenty first century, LeBron James, thinks that one of the vital hyped NBA Draft prospects in latest reminiscence and the anticipated No. 1 choose within the 2025 NBA Draft, Duke star Cooper Flagg, goes to be a drive to be reckoned with on the subsequent degree.
“I personally assume that he desires to be nice. He had a hell of a 12 months at Duke. A man that may achieve this many alternative issues out on the ground. Can play with the ball, can play with out the ball. His bounce shot goes to proceed to get higher. Tremendous athletic, fast second bounce. And in addition, he has the profit, not like myself, he will get to hitch a group that is established with Corridor of Fame guys — Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving — proper off the bat,” James stated about how Flagg would match on the Dallas Mavericks, who personal the No. 1 choose, on the most recent version of the “Thoughts the Sport” podcast, which is hosted by James and Corridor of Famer Steve Nash.
“Corridor of Fame coach, Jason Kidd. You realize, these guys may give him the entire blueprint whereas he continues to study what his blueprint might be. And I feel that is going to be an unbelievable factor for him to have that kind of presence, that kind of management, that kind of simply basketball IQ and information round him each single day from these items. So, I feel he’ll be wonderful.”
[Related: Inside the mind of Duke’s Cooper Flagg: ‘He wants to destroy his competition’]
Flagg had an excellent freshman season at Duke, which reached the Remaining 4. The 6-foot-9 ahead averaged 19.2 factors, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per sport, whereas capturing 48.1/38.5/84.0. Flagg earned countless honors, together with ACC Participant of the 12 months, AP Participant of the 12 months and took dwelling each the Picket and Naismith awards.
The Mavericks, who made the NBA Finals in 2024, are coming off a 39-43 season that noticed them get eradicated within the second spherical of the NBA Play-in Event. Their discouraging 2025 was highlighted by buying and selling celebrity and five-time All-NBA honoree Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the place he is now teammates with James.
Then, regardless of having a 1.8% probability of profitable, the Mavericks gained the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, giving them the flexibility to pick Flagg, the No. 1 recruit within the Class of 2024.
As for a few of Flagg’s potential new teammates, James was teammates himself with Irving on the Cleveland Cavaliers for 3 seasons, most notably profitable the 2016 NBA Finals, and teammates with Davis on the Lakers from the 2019-20 season by means of this previous February; Davis was a part of the Lakers’ commerce package deal to amass Doncic.
Flagg will go proper from competing within the Remaining 4 to making an attempt to compete within the NBA’s Western Convention. (Picture by Lance King/Getty Photos)
Kidd, who’s but to signal a brand new contract within the wake of Dallas denying the New York Knicks permission to talk with him about their head-coaching emptiness, was an assistant coach for the Lakers for 2 seasons, the primary season being James’ and the Lakers’ 2020 NBA Finals triumph. In the meantime, James performed in opposition to Thompson and the Golden State Warriors in 4 consecutive NBA Finals (2015-18).
That is the second time that the Mavericks will choose first within the NBA Draft, the primary time coming once they picked DePaul ahead Mark Aguirre with the No. 1 choose within the 1981 NBA Draft. If certainly the choose, Flagg will change into the sixth Duke participant to be taken with the No. 1 choose in an NBA Draft, Irving, Artwork Heyman, Elton Model, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero being the primary 5.
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