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Stephen A. Smith Makes His Opinion of Cooper Flagg Extremely Clear

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Apr 21, 2025 8:07 PM ET

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith was quick to react after Cooper Flagg officially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft.

Flagg is widely expected to be the top overall pick in the upcoming rookie selection; however, he did raise some doubts about his future after he said while appearing on "SporsCenter" earlier this April that he'll take some time to reflect and ponder on what he would do next.

Several Duke Blue Devils fans even urged him to return to the program and take another shot at the national championship.

On Monday, however, Flagg released a video on social media to confirm his decision to enter the NBA draft.

"Duke fans, my teammates, the brotherhood, everybody that was along for the journey," Flagg stated. "It was an incredible year, probably the best year of my life and I have so much gratitude and I feel so blessed for all the opportunities that I was given. Duke has always been a dream for me, but I'm excited to announce that I'll be entering my name into the 2025 NBA draft.

"Today is just the beginning, but I have the Brotherhood with me for life."

As Flagg's announcement video spread like wildfire, Stephen A. Smith shared his opinion about the 18-year-old prospect on "First Take."

Interestingly, the veteran sports analyst had high praise for Flagg, whom he called the "total package."

"This brother is the total package," Smith said. "And he is going to be the No. 1 overall pick in this upcoming NBA Draft. It is no secret what he was going to do because there's no reason for him not to. He's that dude."

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Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. He shot 48.1 percent from the field, including 38.5 percent from beyond the arc.

While there is still room for growth in his offensive game, Flagg has certainly proven that he's a cut above the rest of the 2025 class.

It will be interesting to see where Flagg ends up in the NBA. Sure enough, as Stephen A. Smith highlighted, any team that lands him will have a great piece on its roster.

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

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