LeBron James believes the future of USA Basketball will be in safe hands because of talents like Cooper Flagg
NBA legend LeBron James has high expectations from Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. James sees talented young players like the five star forward emerging and having the potential to continue the country's dominance on the international stage.
James, a four-time NBA champion, led Team USA to the Olympics gold medal at the Paris Olympics in August. In an interview with Esquire's Brian O'Keefe, James was asked if he thought Team USA could beat the top teams from around the world after he, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry retire.
"Yeah, absolutely. It's all about the farm system and continuing to grow the younger generation. And we have so much great talent right now in our league as well," LeBron replied.
"You have Anthony Edwards and Jayson Tatum; you have Paolo Banchero and Chet Holmgren, these young guys coming up in the ranks; Cooper Flagg, who's going to be a big-time player here for Team USA down the road. So yeah, absolutely. There's a lot of great young talent that's going to want to strive to be an Olympian."
Cooper Flagg played against LeBron James in July when the US Select squad took on the US Olympics team in Las Vegas as a part of their preparation for the Paris Olympics.
Cooper Flagg talks about handling the pressure of being in the spotlight
Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class, has been the subject of attention since he emerged as a top prospect.
At Duke's team media day on Friday, Flagg mentioned that he has taken many selfies with fans and enjoying his time on campus.
"There's always eyes everywhere," Cooper said. "When I first got here, some of the students were kind of going crazy. But it's a compliment that shows all the hard work you've put in, and people are wanting to see you and support you."
Cooper Flagg also discussed how he's settling into life as aa Blue Devil in Durham.
"Not every day is going to be perfect," he added. "Not every day is going to be a good day for you. I'll have bad days. My teammates have been through it, so leaning on them, asking them for strategies, it's helped me get into a rhythm."
Flagg was initially set to join Duke's basketball team in 2025 but moved up his plans and will now play for them this season instead. The 6-foot-9 athlete averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists during his final high school campaign at Montverde.