LeBron James Has His Praise for Cooper Flagg, 18, Ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft

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LeBron James has high praise for Cooper Flagg

The NBA icon said on the latest episode of his podcast that the presumptive No. 1 pick of the draft "wants to be great"

Flagg will be the youngest player to be drafted at No. 1 since James in 2003

LeBron James is putting out the welcome mat for soon-to-be NBA star Cooper Flagg.

On the latest episode of his Mind the Game podcast, the Los Angeles Lakers star shared his own perspective about the one-and-done college phenom who is the presumptive No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.

"I personally think that he wants to be great," James, 40, said. "He had a hell of a year at Duke. A guy that can do so many different things out on the floor. Can play with the ball, can play without the ball. His jump shot is going to continue to get better. Super athletic, quick second jump."

Flagg, 18, will also be the youngest player to go No. 1 in the draft since, well, James did in 2003. (Flagg doesn't turn 19 until Dec. 21.)

All of which is not lost on the NBA icon, or the Dallas Mavericks, who will likely draft him.

Joe Amati/NBAE via Getty

Cooper Flagg scrimmaged against Team USA as a 17-year-old last summer.

"He has the benefit, unlike myself, he gets to join a te am that's established with Hall of Fame guys — Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving — right off the bat. Hall of Fame coach Jason Kidd," James said. "You know, these guys are like, they can give him the whole blueprint while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be."

With the Mavericks improbably winning the rights to draft the No. 1 pick — Dallas had a 1.8% chance of doing so — Flagg is going to a team that is far-from-the-usual lottery bottom-dweller.

The Mavs are one year removed from making the NBA Finals, and only ended up in the draft lottery due to a blockbuster trade of Luka Doncic and a subsequent season-ending injury to Irving, which led to losses.

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For James, the road to success in the NBA was years in the making. He was on the Cleveland Cavaliers for three seasons before they made the playoffs.

Flagg, however, is primed for success thanks to a cadre of Mavs stars.

"I think that will be an incredible thing to have that type of presence, that type of leadership, that type of just basketball IQ and knowledge around him every single day from those pieces," James said. "So, I th ink he's going to be amazing."

Read the original article on People

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