King James, the Black Mamba, Dr. J – it seems like it’s only a matter of time before Cooper Flagg has his own nickname when he enters the NBA. Or maybe even before that, if his recent heroics vs. Pittsburgh are any indication. Flagg, who’s not particularly known for his shooting but more than makes up for it with his overall big presence on the court, made a dunk that quite literally had audiences screaming and raking their hands on their faces – is this kid for real?

It was a coast-to-coast move as Flagg intercepted the ball from the Panthers and then cleared the court to give one of his best post performances of the season. Now his displays have naturally resulted in huge comparisons as Dick Vitale just posted to X, “As @DShulman_ESPN & @JayBilas have said so well @DukeMBB ‘star @CooperFlagg is a multi dimensional superstar. In my many years of basketball that I have seen personally as Cooper is right there with the 3 best I ever seen at a young age @KingJames @kobebryant @MagicJohnson”

This of course comes on the heels of one of Duke’s best games and an even better night for Flagg against Notre Dame, justifying someone like Vitale putting the 18-year-old on a pedestal and mentioning him in the same breath as three of the greatest players basketball has seen.

ESPN’s Jeff Borzello also backed up the praise with, “Cooper Flagg’s best game of his college career: 42 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists in a win over Notre Dame. An ACC freshman record and the first Duke player with 40 points in a game since JJ Redick in 2006 and only the third to do it in the last 40 years, per @ESPNStatsInfo.”

There is nothing the expected No. 1 draft pick cannot do because even if college basketball after reclassifying in high school took some getting used to, the Blue Devils standout is already surpassing expectations the deeper we go into the season. No wonder some analysts and scouts believe Flagg is ready to play major NBA minutes already. And he likely will, when he becomes eligible for the draft after the college ball season is over.

Interestingly, Flagg had the chance to play with Bron last summer, who had nothing but praise for him.

Cooper Flagg’s unforgettable experience guarding LeBron James

Before the college season began, Cooper Flagg was invited to a scrimmage between the United States select team and the men’s national squad in Las Vegas in July 2024. He impressed the NBA All-Stars and the future Hall of Famers, and even LeBron seemed excited to see the growth of basketball with the up and coming players.

The Lakers player said afterward, “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.”

Flagg, for his part, was nervous to meet all the big timers, “The first day, for sure, I was nervous. I didn’t know what to think. I got on the court, and I was like, ‘Wow.’ I was guarding LeBron in the corner. It kind of just hit me for a second, and I had to snap out of it.”

Calling it an ‘unbelievable’ experience might have been right as Cooper Flagg came out of it ready to tackle college hoops. Now that he’s expected to enter the draft after one season, he might just wreak havoc in the NBA as well!