At USA Basketball camp, teen prodigy Cooper Flagg wins hearts

Media members were not allowed to watch the entire clash between the national team headed to the Paris Olympics, led by LeBron James and Stephen Curry, and a select United States team, consisting primarily of young NBA players and flags, which Will be a freshman at Duke this fall. According to USA Basketball officials, official statistics were not kept for the traditional varsity versus junior varsity case. And national team coach Steve Kerr declined to comment about Flagg’s sterling show, citing NBA rules that prohibit making public statements about players who are not yet draft eligible. .

However, as soon as the gym doors opened to reporters, Flagg led the select team’s comeback by taking over the scrimmage with an 11-point lead and burst out laughing. The 39-year-old James, who recognizes the hoops prodigy when he sees one, looked for a flag to congratulate him on the butt after barely hanging on in the national team’s 74-73 win.

Flagg, a 6-foot-8 forward who became the first college player in more than a decade to receive an invitation to the select team, showed why he is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. The polished wing began his scoring explosion with a three-pointer from the left corner over Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis and a post-up turnaround over Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday.

Then, with the momentum building, the baby-faced Flagg brought the ball up the court, worked his way into isolation against Davis and drilled a side-step three-pointer over the NBA’s best defensive player. After the national team tried to find Davis in transition, Flagg took control of the ball and quickly passed the ball to Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, who missed a three-pointer from the left angle. Flagg ran the length of the court during the shot, jumped through traffic to grab the offensive rebound with both hands and completed a put-back in the air while being fouled by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo.

The sequence – shot, pass, rebound and finish – instantly went viral on social media, receiving millions of views within an hour. All told, Flagg had set up a tense endgame by scoring six points in less than 20 seconds. Davis prevented an embarrassing loss for the gold medal favorites by blocking Golden State Warriors guard Brandin Podziemski’s potential game-winning jumper at the buzzer.

Flagg’s game-changing performance was made even more remarkable by the fact that he is five years younger than Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards, the national team’s youngest player. When Flagg was born on December 21, 2006, James was in his fourth NBA season and about to make his third All-Star appearance.

“I was just competing and trying as hard as I could,” Flagg said. “Giving it 100 percent. I am confident in my abilities and skills. I am confident in who I am and what I can do. To be able to share the court (with the national team) is a surreal feeling. I am lucky that I got the opportunity to come here. I was not worried. I didn’t put any pressure on myself. I’m here for a reason. I know that. ,

Flagg’s appeal as a prospect is due to his excellent motor, strong athletic equipment and innate basketball intelligence, as well as the do-it-all game he displayed Monday in front of a few hundred spectators. He’s an effective ball-handler, a willing outside shooter, a physical rebounder, an above-the-rim finisher and a multipositional defender who can handle assignments in the paint or on the perimeter – all rolled into one package.

If Flagg develops into a player capable of taking over the reins of USA Basketball, his fearless performance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas will be remembered as the moment he first proved he could hold his own against the best in the world. Can hold its own.

“The team selected was very good,” Kerr said with a smile, skillfully avoiding comment directly about the flag. “He challenged us. They were physical. They ran a lot of stuff that European teams would run. Nothing could have been done better than this.”

One person who wasn’t caught up in the excitement was Flagg, who chatted with a pair of fellow Duke Blue Devils — Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill — before casually recounting the afternoon’s events. Although Flagg grew up as a Celtics fan and modeled his offensive approach by studying Tatum, he said he felt comfortable playing against a USA Basketball team composed of 12 All-Stars and approximately the same number of future Hall of Famers. Does.

“(There was some surprise) at first, going into the gym and seeing all those players, but not once did we start playing,” he said. “Once the ball goes up, I just become a competitor. It’s a little bit of an adjustment being on the court with them, but at the same time I’m just playing basketball and trying to win. (The national team players) are all very welcoming. They are just telling me to keep working and stay grounded.

Flagg, who reclassified to become a high school senior last fall and then led Montverde Academy (Fla.) to an undefeated season and a national title, said he is vying for a spot on USA Basketball’s roster for the 2027 FIBA ​​World Cup roster. Were “trying” to. In Qatar. By that time, he will be 20 years old and will likely have completed a freshman campaign at Duke and two NBA seasons.

Meanwhile, Flagg hopes the national team will capture its fifth consecutive gold medal in Paris next month.

“They can be any team they want to be,” he said. “They have no weaknesses, no flaws. They can play any way they want and dominate. “This is going to be a dominant team that imposes its will on everyone.”