Duke’s Cooper Flagg reveals how Jayson Tatum’s NBA draft showed him a “roadmap” to follow his dream
Cooper Flagg entered the college circuit as the top recruit in the nation. Even before playing his first official college game, he made headlines by showing out against Team USA in a scrimmage. Flagg is still weeks away from his first college basketball game, but the 17-year-old is already projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
Draft analyst Jonathan Givony asked Flagg about his NBA dreams in an ESPN exclusive. In the video released on Oct. 10, Cooper Flagg shares that witnessing Jayson Tatum, who was picked third in the 2017 draft, gave him a mental road map of the work, effort and dedication required to reach the big leagues.
"I think the first draft that I really look back to and have like a vivid memory of watching was probably like Tatum's draft," Flagg shared. "I remember where I was watching it, at my old house in Maine with my family on the couch and I think I had that feeling for the first time of it really starting to become like ‘okay I can kind of see a road map of this is where I want to get someday’."
"Obviously there's so much that I have to do so much work I have to put in but I think that's when the dream became bigger for me, came more real life."
"Being just a kid from Maine and people were just kind of underestimating me and just telling me that it wasn't possible or that I wouldn't be able to get there. Something about that draft, just watching it a time in my life where that dream just stuck in my head and I was like ‘okay I can really do this I just got to keep working.” (3:00)
Jayson Tatum was a one-and-done player for the Duke Blue Devils in the 2016-17 season. He played under coach Mike Krzyzewski, with whom he still keeps in touch after ascending to stardom with the Boston Celtics.
Legendary Duke coach believes in Cooper Flagg’s talent
Legendary Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, believes that Cooper Flagg has the potential to be one of the best players.
However, he advised Blue Devils fans to refrain from pressuring the 17-year-old and urged them to focus more on the team as a whole.
"He has the potential to be one of the best. I don’t want to put that pressure on him," Krzyzewski shared with ESPN’s Dawn Davenport. "We shouldn’t be talking about (Cooper Flagg), we should be talking about our team. If this was Cooper talking, Cooper would say that, because he’s a very humble young man.”
Despite retiring in 2022, Coach K has been a staple presence in Duke basketball. He was spotted at the K-Center Weight-Room court multiple times throughout the summer and has mentored the 2024-25 roster alongside Jay Bilas.