Cooper Flagg reveals admiration for 5x NBA All-Star he models his game afterÂ
Looking ahead to the 2025 NBA Draft class, Cooper Flagg is the name that has headlined the group for over a year now. As he gears up for the college basketball season at Duke, the potential No. 1 pick touched on the player who has influenced his game the most.
Flagg, a hyperathletic 6-foot-9 forward, is projected to be the next big star in the NCAA. Following a dominant high school career, he turned heads this summer with an impressive showing during Team USA camp before the Olympics.
He was matched up against some of the NBA's top stars and still managed to be a standout performer.
During a recent interview with ESPN, the teenager was asked which players he tries to model his game after. He responded by saying that Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is someone who has had a big impact on his approach on the court.
"But I would say [Tatum] would be a good example of [someone]," Flagg said. "I've watched him a lot. Not necessarily as a model, modeling my game, but just having watched him a lot, there are definitely things that I can pick up on and take from his game."
Tatum, a former Duke star himself, is fresh off a very successful season for him. The five-time All-Star was finally able to deliver the Celtics a title, and he won a gold medal with Team USA in the Olympics.
Cooper Flagg speaks on advice he's received from NBA stars
As mentioned previously, Cooper Flagg had the opportunity to go against NBA talent this summer as part of Team USA. Along with getting to test his skills against the game's best players, he also got to seek out mentorship.
Before becoming superstars in the NBA, most of the players on Team USA were top prospects like Flagg is now. Having been in his situation before, they can give him advice on how to navigate the road ahead.
Understanding the resources at his disposal, Cooper Flagg made sure to chop it up with LeBron James and other Team USA stars. He stated that the main piece of advice was to keep his head right as more fame and opportunities start to appear.
"I would say some of the biggest advice was just to stay humble and keep working," he said. "It really is just about staying grounded and not getting too ahead of yourself."
"It was nothing really specific that [James] said, [but] obviously someone of that success and everything that he's done in his career, it's cool just to talk to him."
The Duke freshman is going to have a lot of eyes on him throughout this year as he prepares to potentially enter the 2025 draft. Many will be anxious to see if he lives up to the expectations that have been laid out for him.