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See wherefore Cooper Flagg is the No. 1 imaginable successful the NBA draught (1:50)
Check retired the champion plays from Duke freshman Cooper Flagg up of the 2025 NBA draft. (1:50)
ESPN
Jun 24, 2025, 01:56 PM ET
The NBA draught tips disconnected Wednesday nighttime from the Barclays Center, and the archetypal sanction expected to beryllium called is Duke's Cooper Flagg.
Not a immense astonishment aft helium did everything for the Blue Devils past twelvemonth -- led them successful points, rebounds, assists, and steals portion going to the Final Four.
When the Dallas Mavericks instrumentality Flagg -- barring a large astonishment -- helium volition beryllium the second-youngest No. 1 wide prime all-time down LeBron James. The Cavaliers took him archetypal successful 2003.
James had immoderate precocious praise for Flagg connected his "Mind the Game" podcast.
"I personally deliberation that helium wants to beryllium great," helium said. "He had a hellhole of a twelvemonth astatine Duke. A feline that tin bash truthful galore antithetic things retired connected the floor. Can play with the ball, tin play without the ball. His leap changeable is going to proceed to get better. Super athletic, speedy 2nd jump."
James does spot a quality betwixt Flagg's concern and his own.
"He has the benefit, dissimilar myself, helium gets to articulation a squad that's established with Hall of Fame guys -- Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving -- close disconnected the bat. Hall of Fame coach, Jason Kidd.You know, these guys are like, they're tin springiness him the full blueprint portion helium continues to larn what his blueprint volition be."
As a 19-year-old rookie, James was the starring scorer with 20 per crippled connected a Cavs squad that finished 5th successful the Central Division. The lineup besides featured Carlos Boozer, Ricky Davis and Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
James didn't marque the playoffs until his 3rd season, and adjacent past the lineup didn't comparison to what the Mavs volition person adjacent twelvemonth -- if healthy.
"I deliberation that volition beryllium an unthinkable happening to person that benignant of presence, that benignant of leadership, that benignant of conscionable hoops IQ and cognition astir him each azygous time from those pieces," James said. "So, I deliberation he's going to beryllium amazing."
