PHOTO: $80M worth Jayson Tatum poses with rising Duke star Cooper Flagg at USA Team training scrimmage
Cooper Flagg was the center of attention during training scrimmages between the USA Olympic team and the Select team on Monday. Despite not having played a single game in college basketball, the incoming Duke freshman was not shy about going toe to toe with NBA players lsuch as LeBron James, Jayson Tatum, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, and more.
After Day 2 of scrimmage, Flagg had a brief interaction with two former Duke players Jayson Tatum, who is worth $80 million, as per Celebrity Net Worth, and Grant Hill. On Instagram, Duke men's basketball shared a photo of Flagg with Tatum, an NBA champion, and Hill, the managing director of the USA national team.
"The absolute Brotherhood," the caption read.
Cooper Flagg, a Newport, Maine, native, gave the US Olympic team a scare with his impressive performance. Basketball fans and analysts were surprised by the play of the 17-year-old.
Flagg made a 3-pointer and dunked over three-time NBA All-Defensive Team member Anthony Davis. He also gave a hard time to Bam Adebayo and Jrue Holiday, both All-Defense performers.
"It just comes from my mindset,” Flagg told USA TODAY. "Once the ball goes up, I'm just trying to win at all times, so I'm just a competitor and that's what it boils down to. It's a little bit of adjustment being on the court with them, but at the same time, I'm just playing basketball and just trying to win."
Jayson Tatum on future NBA prospect Cooper Flagg
Jayson Tatum is currently one of the best players in the NBA. He signed a record-breaking five-year, $314 million contract extension, a few weeks after leading the Boston Celtics to NBA championship glory.
Tatum believes that Cooper Flagg is poised for even more greatness.
"He’s probably ahead of me [at this age],” Tatum said of Flagg. "I wasn’t nearly as athletic when I got into college. It took me a little bit longer. I just like how he had an edge about him, a toughness. He was going at guys and trying to go at the best players and trying to block shots. I just loved how he competed."
Flagg, who previously played for Montverde Academy, is the highest-rated recruit of his class. Meanwhile, the five-time NBA All-Star Tatum was ranked third overall in his high school class of 2016. Flagg averaged 16.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.7 blocks and 1.6 steals per game at Montverde last season.