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LeBron James Shares Strong Message on Cooper Flagg Landing With Mavericks

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Cole Sullivan | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 2:59 PM ET

The anticipation is high for the 2025 NBA draft on Wednesday, with the spotlight mainly on Duke Blue Devils star and projected No. 1 overall pick, Cooper Flagg.

Flagg is all but locked in to become a Dallas Maverick—a stunning development considering the team held just a 1.8% chance to win the lottery back in May.

Now, he’s expected to join a veteran core that includes Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, Klay Thompson, and key contributors like Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively.

Ahead of draft night, LeBron James and co-host Steve Nash released the latest episode of their Mind the Game podcast, where James shared strong thoughts on Flagg’s likely landing in Dallas—a much different situation than James himself faced when he was drafted by his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers in 2003.

"[Cooper Flagg] has the benefit, unlike myself, he gets to join a team that's established with Hall of Fame guys," James said Tuesday, contrasting it with his own experience being drafted by a rebuilding Cavaliers team.

LeBron said the Mavs can provide the PERFECT supporting cast for Cooper Flagg

(via @mindthegamepod) pic.twitter.com/LvvHUN89Rm
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 24, 2025

James added on the podcast, in reference to Flagg joining forces with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson.

"They can give him the whole blueprint, while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be," James said. "And I think that's going to be an incredible thing for him — to have that type of presence, that type of leadership, that type of just basketball IQ and knowledge around him every single day from those pieces. So I think he's going to be amazing."

Prior to Cooper Flagg beginning his career at Duke, he was already making waves on the AAU circuit—most notably when a viral clip captured LeBron James giving him advice after a game.

Cooper Flagg really is next up. Got LeBron in his ear and already has an NBA frame and game at only 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/Mvh5wYFhgv
— V̷a̷t̷o̷r̷ (@VatorSports) July 7, 2023

Now, at just 18 years old, Flagg will soon have the opportunity to compete against James on an NBA floor. James, who turns 41 in December, is set to make history as he enters his 23rd season in the league.

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

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