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LeBron James' Personal Opinion of Cooper Flagg Made Extremely Clear

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 9:57 PM ET

Cooper Flagg is undoubtedly the best prospect in the NBA Draft class of 2025, so it's no surprise that he is projected to be the No. 1 pick and go to the Dallas Mavericks. Sure enough, there are already high expectations for him even before he sets foot into the pros.

The 18-year-old forward has already been compared to the likes of Scottie Pippen, Kawhi Leonard, Jayson Tatum, Lamar Odom, Tom Chambers and Andrei Kirilenko for his style of play.

According to ESPN's latest scouting report, Flagg is also predicted to make an "immediate impact" on the Mavericks when they officially make him the top overall pick in Wednesday's draft.

Furthermore, it's not only the experts who are high on Flagg. Even Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has major praise for the youngster as he heads to the NBA.

In the latest episode of his "Mind the Game" podcast with Steve Nash, James talked about what makes Flagg a great NBA prospect.

"I personally think that he wants to be great, you know," James said of Flagg, who put up 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game in his lone season at Duke.

"He had a hell of a year at Duke. A guy that can do so many different things out on the floor, can play with the ball, can play without the ball. You know, his jump shot is going to continue to get better. Super athletic, quick second jump."

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LeBron James also pointed out that Cooper Flagg will benefit from joining the Mavericks, especially since the team already has established stars like Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis who can guide him. Not to mention that he's set to be coached by NBA legend Jason Kidd.

While there are naturally massive expectations on him — as James would know as a former No. 1 pick and undoubtedly the most-hyped prospect ever — the Lakers forward firmly believes Flagg has what it takes to succeed at the highest level of basketball.

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

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