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6 hours ago
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Cooper Flagg is just days away from beginning his NBA journey. The former Duke basketball superstar is set to join the Dallas Mavericks on June 25 as the No. 1 pick in the draft.
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Flagg spoke about the highs and lows that have shaped his development into one of the most exciting prospects in basketball history.
Flagg sent a mature message on his heartbreaking March Madness loss to Houston. He missed a game-winning fadeaway after the Blue Devils blew a 14-point lead and allowed a 9-0 run in the final 35 seconds of the Final Four showdown.
“I’m not going to beat myself up over whether I could have taken one more dribble or whether I could have done something different,” Flagg said. “It was a tough shot, but I don’t think you’re going to get an easy shot in that opportunity. If you look at any game-winner at any level, I don’t think there’s a lot of wide-open [ones]. You get to a spot, you raise up, and you trust the work that you put in over time. I’m just going to live with what I trusted.”
With countless NBA stars and media members giving him high praise before the draft, Flagg seems destined for greatness. His potential is limitless, and his graceful approach to moments like his missed game-winner against Houston indicates an advanced level of maturity and readiness for the NBA.
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, Flagg’s first and last college basketball coach, displayed a high level of trust and belief in the reigning Naismith Player of the Year.
“There’s certain things that I replay from that game,” Scheyer told Sports Illustrated. “That’s not one of them. You trust the ball in Cooper’s hands.”
Assuming the Mavericks select Flagg, they must prepare to build their future around the 18-year-old phenom. While players like Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis are still around for Dallas, the expectation is that the Mavs will prioritize Flagg as their centerpiece moving forward.
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