So I’ve been coaching basketball in dusty gyms long enough to know that hope is dangerous, especially in the NBA. One minute you’re hyped about your team drafting the next big thing, and the next minute he’s playing in Slovenia on a two-way contract with a torn ACL and an NFT business.
But every once in a while; every blue moon, eclipse, and Wembanyama, you see a player and just know. You know you’re witnessing the beginning of something stupidly rare.
And that’s exactly what Cooper Flagg is: stupidly rare.
This kid didn’t just go first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, he walked across that stage with the kind of inevitability usually reserved for Thanos or death and taxes. And while I am not a Dallas Mavericks fan; frankly, I still haven’t forgiven them for that 2006 Finals nonsense; I’m genuinely tempted to order a Flagg jersey and wear it like a guilty secret under my Lakkers hoodie.
Let’s talk about it.
Wait, What Is the NBA Draft (For My Aunt Who Thinks I’m Wasting My Life With This Sport)?
Every June, 30 NBA teams gather to select the rights to mostly 19-year-old future millionaires. They do this in a two-round draft that’s supposed to “balance the league” by giving bad teams a better shot at good players. (Spoiler alert: the system works exactly as well as Zimbabwean ZESA schedules.)
There’s a lottery involved for the 14 worst teams, ping-pong balls fly, executives panic, someone inevitably drafts a European they’ve never actually seen play; and just like that, the hopes of an entire franchise rest on the shoulders of a kid who probably still calls his mum before bed.
This year? Dallas won the lottery and used the pick to grab Cooper Flagg. Smart move. Possibly the only smart thing they’ve done since Mark Cuban bought a pharmacy app.
Cooper Flagg: Made in a Lab. Probably by God. Or Greg Popovich.
So, who is Cooper Flagg?
Simply put he is Him. Flagg is that rare basketball unicorn you read about in scouting fairy tales – 6’9” (about 2.06 metres), arms like coat hangers, instincts like a cheetah on caffeine, and a motor that just won’t quit. On defence, he doesn’t just block shots, he haunts them. His timing is elite, and he reads offensive plays like he has the other team’s group chat. At Duke, he averaged nearly 20 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and about 3 blocks per game and half the time he looked bored doing it. His defensive positioning is so sharp it could cut through a pick-and-roll like a hot knife through bad coaching.
He’s not your flashy, ball-hogging, TikTok-dunking type. No. He’s more like the ghost in the machine; always in the right place, making the right read, doing the little things that don’t make highlight reels but win championships. Offensively, he’s efficient and unselfish, with a jumper that’s smoother than Luka’s postgame fits. He’s not just good; he’s terrifyingly complete.
And let’s be honest: he plays like someone who was built in a San Antonio Spurs lab, possibly under Popovich supervision, with Tim Duncan whispering fundamentals into his dreams.
So yeah, Flagg is him. He’s the blueprint. The cheat code. The “future of basketball” we keep hearing about – except he’s here now and in Dallas. Which is weird, because I’m not a Mavs fan… but I might start pretending I am.
Mavs, Don’t Ruin Him
Look, Dallas. You’ve already made us watch Kyrie Irving try to explain astrophysics between turnovers. You’ve been weird since Dirk left. Don’t ruin Cooper Flagg.
Here’s your to-do list:
- Surround him with shooters.
- Give him a defensive big so he doesn’t have to do everything.
- Don’t turn him into a glorified 3&D wing. He’s not Josh Green with cheekbones.
- Let him cook. Let him lead.
This is your franchise cornerstone. If you waste him trying to recreate Luka-ball with less whinging, I will fly to Dallas and personally unplug every G-League treadmill.
As For Me? I’m Just a Coach in Africa Screaming at My Phone
I coach in Victoria Falls. I’ve coached barefoot kids on dusty courts with broken rims and no nets. I’ve had players who can’t afford jerseys, we’re all watching.
Because hoop dreams are universal. Whether it’s the NBA or a rural primary school tournament, when a player like Flagg shows up, we all feel it. This is what we live for.
So yeah, I’m not a Mavs fan. But right now, I’m fully in my Cooper Flagg era. I’m buying into the hype like it’s GameStop in 2021.
Final Whistle
- The NBA Draft isn’t just a system. It’s a story engine.
- Cooper Flagg is the protagonist we’ve all been waiting for.
- The Mavs might have finally done something right.
- And me? I’m ready to scream “FLAGG!” at strangers in traffic.
So to the doubters: keep sleeping.
To the Mavs: don’t mess this up.
To Cooper: welcome to the pressure cooker, kid. We believe (just don’t break my heat like Wembe-mama did)
Just don’t make me root for Dallas, man. I’ve suffered enough with my Lakers.