Duke star Cooper Flagg's reaction to Coach K making LeBron comparison on campus visit
11/11/2024 02:36 PM
Through two games as a member of the Duke Blue Devils, Cooper Flagg is averaging 15.5 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. These are not spectacular numbers by any means, but this is the kind of well-rounded stat-line you’d expect from a dominant young player whose singular motivation on the basketball court is to win.
Surely, if Cooper Flagg wanted to put up bigger numbers, he could. And in time, when Duke needs him to, he will. Thus far, the Blue Devils haven’t been challenged, and as a result, Flagg is only playing 27 minutes per game. But what may be the most impressive aspect of the star freshman’s skillset is his ability to be whatever his team needs him to be in order to come away with a victory. That’s what is expected when you’re a student of the game, just as Flagg has been since he was a child.
Comparisons for Flagg have ranged from Shawn Marion to Anthony Davis to Kevin Garnett. Kevin Durant is a player that Flagg has reportedly attempted to model his game after, and the 17-year-old’s affinity for Larry Bird and the 1985-86 Boston Celtics have resulted in expected — and racially motivated — comparisons to Larry Legend. But there’s one player who is the holy grail of comparisons for a player who possesses Flagg’s size, smarts and athleticism.
And amazingly, it was Duke royalty who was one of the first to make it.
When Flagg and his trainer Matt McKenzie made a trip to Durham, North Carolina in the summer of 2023, the duo met with legendary Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Near the conclusion of their hour-long meeting with Coach K, the five-time National Championship winning head coach made the comparison that few others would dare to make.
“The way you carry yourself is very impressive,” Coach K said to Flagg, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN.com. “You remind me of a player I coached on Team USA, and that’s LeBron James.”
Reportedly, Flagg’s reaction to this comparison was a virtual non-reaction. He wasn’t fazed, even though a comparison like this one certainly won’t slow the hype train down. Then again, nobody seems too eager to shy away from these lofty expectations.
“He’s different from anybody I’ve ever recruited,” Scheyer said. “Here’s this kid, blocking everything. Some of the plays he was making at 15, it just jumped off the page at you. His instincts. His athletic ability. His skill.”
What may be most impressive about Cooper Flagg is how often he harps on “making the right plays.” This is what you’d expect, though, from someone who grew up on VHS tapes of the mid-80s Celtics. Or, someone who has spent much of the last two decades watching LeBron James.
“There’s players that do make all the right plays,” Flagg said. “Especially someone like LeBron, for example. He’s the type of player that just makes all his teammates better and is making the right play.”
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