Initially impressed by players like LeBron James, Cooper Flagg quickly showed why he was a likely first-round pick in next year’s draft.
LAS VEGAS — One of the best players on the court in Team USA’s practice game Monday, moved easily, floated to the basket multiple times, took future Hall of Famers off the dribble for dunks, made a couple of stepback 3-pointers.
He integrated.
Oh, it should be mentioned: he’s 17.
Cooper Flagg was one of a dozen players on a select team whose sole job over the last two days was to give Team USA a solid workout and do those The Olympians sweat.
What separated him from his teammates was pretty obvious—except he was only a month away from prom and graduation.
Additionally, if the 2025 draft were held tomorrow, the flexible young forward would likely be the first pick.
Cooper Flagg recovers for the slam ????
Training match between the national team and the selected team ???? pic.twitter.com/IXbb9vDrgK
— The future of the NBA starts now (@nbafuturenow) July 7, 2024
What he got in return was the experience of a youngster’s lifetime. What the dominant members of the NBA who gathered for workouts got was another page in the scouting report on someone who could lead the next generation of American-born stars.
“He is a special young man” said Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, who coached the selected team. “His talent level, his basketball IQ, his tenacity level, he wasn’t afraid of those moments, to protect the basket, to make the right play, to make the right read. He had all of that.”
And he’ll take all of that to Duke this fall as a freshman, where he’s expected to stay for one year. And that was before he committed to Vegas.
At 6-foot-8 with an outside touch and the ability to attack the basket, Flagg has been highly ranked since starting high school in Maine.
He had played against professional and college players before, mostly in the summers, though this trip to Vegas was clearly a step up. His parents watched the three-day games from the stands, and his father, Ralph, admitted his son was dazzled.
Who would not be ?
“The first time he stepped on the ground“He looked up and he defended LeBron James and he was like, ‘OK, I guess we’re going to start doing this.’ This opportunity, it’s crazy,” Ralph Flagg said.
The wonder lasted only a few moments, his son said.
“At first, you walk into that gym, you see all those players and yeah, it’s like, wow,” he said. “But then the ball goes up and it’s just basketball. I’m just trying to win. I’m a competitor, that’s what it comes down to.”
“I have confidence in my abilities and skills. I know who I am and what I can do.”
He almost led the selected team to victory in the final moments of a tight game with a few baskets, mainly because his teammates – all young NBA players – trusted him. It was a sign of respect.
On a late sequence, he elevated for a 3-pointer over Anthony Davis — who blocked one of Flagg’s shots Sunday, sending the teenager to the floor — then followed seconds later with a putback, plus the foul.
He took charge of the scrum.
Cooper Flagg takes over. ????
(via @BenGolliverHi @DukeNBA)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) July 8, 2024
“You see what he did?” Mosley said.
Everyone did it. And the Olympians told him so after the buzzer.
“He wants to be big” Devin Booker said.
Flagg accepted all the advice.
“It was a real honor to come out here and compete,” Flagg said. “Every single one of them reached out to me. They were all very welcoming. They told me to keep working and keep the faith.”
USA Basketball has extended invitations to a handful of players for the select team: Detroit’s Jalen Duren, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, Miami’s Jaime Jaquez and Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis, among others.
The idea was twofold: to give the Olympians enough outside competition before starting intrasquad work Wednesday, and perhaps to groom some young players who could fill out Team USA rosters of the future.
“It was great to be able to get back in the gym for a competition of this level,” said Houston’s Jabari Smith Jr. “It allowed me to work on my game, get better and come back stronger next season.”
Assuming he continues to grow and adapt to the physical demands of the game, Flagg will be a candidate for the next FIBA World Cup team. And beyond that, who knows? Maybe more friendlies like the ones the last three days, except he could be on the other bench.
“It’s a sponge” Mosley said: “The first few days were about what he needed to improve, both offensively and defensively. He was fortunate to get some advice from NBA coaches and NBA players. It was only for a few days, but it’s something he can take with him.”
Ralph Flagg went even further about his son:
“Coming into the season at Duke, after something like that, he’s got to think, ‘Well, I know I can play with these (NBA) guys.’ He’ll go back to campus, recharge and be ready for whatever comes next.”
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Shaun Powell has been covering the NBA for over 25 years. You can email him herefind his archives here And follow him on X.
The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
