Imagine being 17 years old and running rings around three of the best defenders in the NBA. Teenage prodigy Cooper Flagg has been turning heads since eighth grade. He has already followed in the footsteps of LeBron James and the world finally got to witness his talents as he helped Team USA prepare for the Olympics as a part of the USA Basketball Select Team. But what was going through his mind before he hit a three-pointer over Anthony Davis?

The 17-year-old was invited to play against Team USA from July 6th to 8th as a part of the Select Team. The projected No.1 pick of his class was the youngest member on the floor but his ease in handling the nation’s best defense wouldn’t give it away. Though Team USA won 74-73, Flagg was all the talk, with his clips taking over social media.

“The nerves were definitely high,” said Flagg when asked about taking on Jrue Holiday, Bam Adebayo, and Anthony Davis in a chat with GQ Sports on July 15. “I was pretty nervous to be in that environment and play against that level of players,” he added. Remember this is a USA team comprising the best of the best of the NBA and as such feeling nervous in a space with elite athletes is no surprise. But what is surprising is Flagg’s mentality at such a young age.

“Once I got on the court, all the nerves kind of went away…. Once I start playing, the pressure and the nerves and whatever I’m thinking about goes away. I’m able to just lock in and play. That’s a difference-maker, I think, being able to forget about everything and just play basketball,” Flagg said.

Cooper, the son of collegiate basketball players Kelly and Ralph Flagg, has shown signs of success from the beginning. He was in eighth grade when he claimed his first NCAA Division I scholarship offer. Over the years, he has grown into a 6’9″ giant, with a game well enough to challenge experienced players.

On July 11, he was named the Gatorade Best Male Player of the Year, a title previously won by the likes of LeBron James and Jayson Tatum.

It speaks volumes about his talent as he took the attention away from a U.S. basketball team chasing a fifth consecutive gold medal at the Olympics. The select team is usually made up of young NBA players to help the national team prepare for major events such as the World Cup or the Olympics. Flagg became the first college player asked to be part of the team since Doug McDermott and Marcus Smart in 2013.  ut what makes Flagg’s accomplishment impressive?

Well, both McDermott and Smart were proven stars. McDermott had played 110 college games for Creighton by the time he was selected for the min-camp and was a two-time consensus All-American. Smart was coming off a freshman season when he won the Player of the Year honor at Oklahoma State. In comparison, Flagg has yet to play a college game, but has proven he has all the tools to succeed.

A native of Newport, Maine, he played his last two years of high school basketball at Montverde Academy in Florida. He was USA Basketball’s male athlete of the year in 2022 as he led his country to gold at the U17 World Cup. Flagg was named the Naismith Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American in his final high school season.

“It’s relentless… He doesn’t need the ball. He just finds a way to it. And the ball finds its way to him. That’s something that you can’t teach,” Miami Heat forward, Jaime Jaquez Jr. said via NBC Los Angeles after the game. But that was not all, Flagg received praise from the Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant, who further accentuated his comments about not feeling nervous while playing.

“He looked like a hell of a player, somebody who’s only going to get better with more experience. 17 years old coming in here and playing like he’s a vet [veteran] almost… no emotion, just going out there and doing his job. That’s a good sign,” Durant said.

During the game, he created space against Jrue Holiday before switching and scoring a three-pointer over Anthony Davis. He then threw a get-ahead pass, ran across, and finished a putback over Bam Adebayo. Let us remind you again that he is just 17. His growing stature has also placed him in the mix to be one of the top draft picks next year. So how does he deal with such outside noise?

How does Flagg stay grounded amid NBA speculation?

Flagg was asked about his take on NBA teams’ ideas to draft him. “I try not to think about it too much,” Flagg told GQ. Despite being in high school, the dynamo is letting his play remove age barriers.

However, Flagg does not like to spend much time thinking about his future. Instead, he nurtures his game. “It kind of shows the work that I’ve put in and feels like the outcome of everything that I’ve done to this point,” he said.

The 17-year-old takes it as a good sign to keep pushing which would help him stay on the “right track and stay grounded.” Certainly, the man of his word is right. Currently, he has a whole new experience awaiting this season as he just entered Duke University.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.