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Cooper Flagg Reveals Basketball Moment That Left Him 'Shell-Shocked' Ahead of NBA Draft

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Jun 19, 2025 12:50 PM ET

There’s little doubt about who will be the first player to hear his name called next week in Brooklyn at the NBA draft.

All signs continue to point toward Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg as the consensus No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks. That selection would pair him with future Hall of Famers like Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson, and fellow Duke alum Kyrie Irving.

But this won’t be the first time Flagg shares the court with NBA legends. At just 17 years old—before even beginning his freshman season at Duke—he was selected to the USA Select Team, where he practiced with the Olympic Team USA squad ahead of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics.

Flagg matched up against stars like his soon-to-be teammate Anthony Davis, as well as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, and others—and he held his own.

In a recent interview with "Sports Illustrated," after being announced as the magazine’s latest cover athlete, Flagg admitted that while he eventually settled in by the second day, he was initially “shell-shocked” throughout the first day.

"I was shell-shocked," Flagg said.

Sharing a floor with LeBron and Stephen Curry at the age of 17 will do that pic.twitter.com/XmXXYDuvoq
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) June 19, 2025

Now, just days away from being named the face of an NBA franchise, Cooper Flagg is poised to become one of the biggest draws in the sport—all at just 18 years old. That’s a massive spotlight, but one he appears more than ready for.

As a freshman, Flagg dominated the college basketball landscape and never shied away from the moment. He led Duke to both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles, and helped guide the Blue Devils to the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament.

He topped the roster in nearly every major statistical category, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. His standout season earned him numerous accolades, including the Wooden Award, Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year, and both ACC Player and Rookie of the Year honors.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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