Seventeen-year-old Cooper Flagg had not yet played a single game for Duke when he entered UNLV`s Mendenhall Center on July 8, 2024. Yet, he immediately captured the attention of future Hall of Famers preparing for the 2024 Paris Olympics with Team USA. Flagg was already considered the most anticipated American high school prospect since LeBron James, born over three years before Flagg. James and other Team USA members were well aware of Flagg`s reputation, even if they hadn`t seen his game firsthand.
It had been over a decade since an amateur was invited to join the Team USA select squad; previous invitees like Doug McDermott and Marcus Smart were accomplished college players in 2013. This scrimmage at Team USA`s training camp was Flagg`s biggest test. The question was whether he would be intimidated by All-Stars he watched on TV or nervous playing in front of NBA coaches and executives. The clear answer was no.
«Zero nerves,» stated 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis, recalling his first impression of the 6-foot-9 forward who would join him in the Dallas Mavericks` frontcourt this season. «He went out and balled.»
Flagg is currently in Las Vegas for a final preseason game before his rookie season, as the Mavericks face the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Flagg`s «welcome-to-the-NBA» moment happened 15 months prior, where he demonstrated his potential for immediate league impact, despite needing to wait a season for draft eligibility.
He was already widely considered the top pick for the 2025 draft upon arriving at the Team USA training camp. Any lingering doubts were dispelled by the end of the scrimmage, where the Olympic squad narrowly won 74-73 after a spirited comeback led by Flagg. This performance further heightened anticipation for Flagg`s time at Duke. He not only met but exceeded expectations there, earning national player of the year honors, leading the Blue Devils in major statistical categories, securing an ACC title, and reaching the Final Four.
Now, after the veteran Mavericks surprisingly secured the No. 1 pick with a 1.8% lottery chance, expectations are high for Flagg to expand his game as a rookie and prove himself as a rare teenager capable of immediately contributing to winning in the NBA. «It wasn`t about proving anything to myself, just feeling comfortable and gaining confidence from that experience,» Flagg explained. «I definitely just had that feeling that I knew I belonged. I knew I could be out there.»
While reviewing Flagg`s versatile play at Duke, Mavs coach Jason Kidd pondered if Flagg could take on even more roles. Kidd saw echoes of another Duke alum, Grant Hill, who shared the Rookie of the Year award with Kidd in 1994-95 and often played point guard for the Detroit Pistons. Kidd observed the same remarkable combination of instinct and power in Flagg that Hill possessed coming out of Duke.
«I saw that, too,» confirmed Hill, who, as managing director of Team USA, invited Flagg to the select team and commentated on some of his college games. «He tries to play the complete game. You look up and he’s got 22 points and it doesn’t even feel like he looked to score. He’s so unselfish. He defends. He just tries to do what’s necessary to win games.»
Upon Flagg`s arrival in Dallas, Kidd was eager to assess his point guard capabilities and how he would adapt to an unfamiliar role. This experiment began during his brief appearance in the Las Vegas Summer League, which yielded mixed results as the Mavericks split Flagg`s two games. In the summer opener, Flagg shot poorly (5-of-21 from the field) but crucially influenced the game`s decisive sequence. With just over a minute left, he blocked a layup, drove the ball in transition, drew three defenders, and dished to a teammate for an open 3-pointer that secured Dallas`s lead.
In the second game, a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, Flagg scored 31 points in 31 minutes. The Mavericks, particularly impressed by his composure while handling the ball, rested him for the remainder of the summer league. «He handled the situation as well as an 18-year-old could,» said Kidd, who recently started Flagg at point guard in a large lineup during a preseason win over the Utah Jazz. «He has a talent for winning. It is in his DNA, and so it would be unfair not to make him uncomfortable.»
According to Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, who led the Team USA select squad, the most memorable moments of Flagg`s time at the national team`s training camp weren`t during the scrimmage itself, but rather in the preceding practices and meetings. Flagg`s curiosity and intellect deeply impressed Mosley, especially a detailed discussion between Flagg and Magic guard Jalen Suggs about NBA defensive strategies.
«He asked a lot of questions,» Mosley noted. «I think it`s huge for a young guy in this situation to be able to ask the right questions. He just wanted to understand what it looks like at the next level. He`s a communicator, and that said a lot to me about him. Guys like that with high basketball IQs that want to play the right way will ask questions.»
Flagg then delivered a fearless performance in the scrimmage. «He wasn`t afraid of the moment and who he was going against,» Mosley observed. «He was himself. I think he walked in with the quiet confidence, but then when he got on the court with those guys, that demeanor didn`t change any at all.»
If there was a «signature stretch» in the scrimmage, it was Flagg`s late scoring outburst that fueled the select team`s rally from a double-digit deficit. He executed a baseline turnaround over Jrue Holiday, drained an off-dribble 3-pointer in Anthony Davis`s face, and delivered an and-1 tip-in over Bam Adebayo, prompting cheers from his bench. These three plays came against defenders with a combined 16 All-Defensive team selections. Flagg, however, remained calm and focused, not celebrating any of them. He described his experience with the select team as «a big learning experience,» yet nothing he achieved against the Olympians truly surprised him.
«He was cooking,» Davis recollected. «He definitely stood out. Guys obviously were hearing the name, and we all knew who he was. But a lot of guys tend to, I don`t want to say be hesitant, but when you`re going against guys like myself, Bron, Steph, you see these guys and it`s like, `Oh s—.` You look up to and you idolize these guys, and now you got to go play against them. You kind of get nervous, which is normal. But for him, he has the utmost confidence in himself.»
While Flagg`s scoring garnered media attention, it was his command of the game at such a young age against elite competition that most impressed former Team USA coach Steve Kerr. Kerr was struck by «the force you felt.» He elaborated: «You immediately felt him. And it was as a basketball player. It wasn`t just like he had a huge dunk or something. No. It was the passing, the cutting, the late-clock, left-handed jump hook on the block when the offense had nothing else. It was so consistent.» Kerr added, «I`m coaching against him and we have the best players. He`s got incredible feel. He`s just huge but plays like a guard in terms of reading the game.»
Kerr recalled seeing Duke coach Jon Scheyer after the scrimmage. «I said, `That had to make you feel good,`» Kerr recounted. «He just smiled.» Kidd, too, understands that feeling.
O`zbek Tilida
O`n yetti yoshli Kuper Flagg 2024-yil 8-iyul kuni UNLV Mendenhall markaziga kirganida, u Dyuk uchun birorta ham o`yin o`tkazmagan edi. Biroq, u darhol 2024-yilgi Parij Olimpiadasiga AQSh jamoasi bilan borishga tayyorlanayotgan kelajakdagi shon-shuhrat zali a`zolarining e`tiborini tortdi. Flagg, o`zi tug`ilishidan uch yildan ko`proq vaqt oldin NBA loyihasining birinchi raqamli tanlovi bo`lgan LeBron Jeymsdan keyingi eng kutilgan amerikalik maktab yoshidagi basketbolchi hisoblanardi. Jeyms va AQSh jamoasining boshqa a`zolari Flaggning nomidan xabardor edilar, garchi uning o`yinini hali o`z ko`zlari bilan ko`rishmagan bo`lsalar ham.
Havaskorning AQSh terma jamoasiga taklif qilinganiga o`n yildan oshgan edi; avvalgi taklif qilingan Dug MakDermott va Markus Smart kabi futbolchilar 2013-yilda tajribali kollej o`yinchilari edi. AQSh terma jamoasining o`quv lageridagi bu o`yin Flagg uchun eng katta sinov bo`ldi. Savol shunday edi: u televizorda tomosha qilib o`sgan All-Star o`yinchilaridan qo`rqarmidi yoki NBA murabbiylari va rahbarlari bilan kichik sport zalida o`ynashdan hayajonlanarmidi? Javob aniq edi: yo`q.
«Asabiy emas edi,» dedi 10 karra All-Star Entoni Devis, ushbu mavsumda Dallas Mavericksning old qismida u bilan birga boshlaydigan 6 fut 9 dyuymli hujumchining birinchi taassurotini eslab. «U chiqib o`ynadi.»
Flagg hozirda Las-Vegasda o`zining debyut mavsumi oldidan so`nggi tayyorgarlik o`yinini o`tkazmoqda, Mavericks Los-Anjeles Leykersga qarshi o`ynamoqda. Biroq, Flaggning «NBAga xush kelibsiz» lahzasi 15 oy oldin sodir bo`lgan edi, u ligada darhol ta`sir ko`rsatish salohiyatini namoyish etdi, garchi loyihaga qatnashish uchun bir mavsum kutishiga to`g`ri kelgan bo`lsa ham.
U AQSh terma jamoasining o`quv lageriga kelganida, 2025-yilgi loyiha uchun birinchi raqamli tanlov sifatida allaqachon keng e`tirof etilgan edi. Uning birinchi raqam bo`lishiga oid har qanday shubha o`yin yakunida tarqaldi, o`shanda Olimpiya jamoasi Flaggning kuchli qaytishi tufayli 74-73 hisobida g`alaba qozondi. Bu o`yin Flaggning Dyukdagi faoliyati uchun kutishlarni yanada oshirdi. U u yerda nafaqat kutganlarni oqladi, balki ularni ham ortda qoldirdi, milliy yil o`yinchisi unvonini qo`lga kiritdi, Dyukni asosiy statistik ko`rsatkichlar bo`yicha yetakladi, ACC chempionligini qo`lga kiritdi va Final Fourga chiqdi.
Endi, tajribali Mavericks ajoyib tarzda 1,8% lotereya imkoniyatidan foydalanib Flaggni 1-raqamli tanlov bilan qo`lga kiritganidan so`ng, Flagg debyutant sifatida o`z o`yinini kengaytirishi va NBAda darhol g`alabalarga hissa qo`sha oladigan noyob o`smir ekanligini isbotlashi kutilmoqda. «Bu o`zimga nimadir isbotlash emas, balki shunchaki o`zimni qulay his qilish va bu tajribadan ishonch qozonish edi,» dedi Flagg. «Men shubhasiz u yerda bo`lishga loyiq ekanligimni his qildim. Men u yerda bo`la olishimni bilardim.»
Flaggning Dyukdagi ko`p qirrali o`yinini o`rganayotgan paytda, Mavs murabbiyi Jeyson Kidd Flagg yanada ko`proq rol o`ynay oladimi deb o`yladi. Kidd Flaggning o`yinida yana bir Dyuk bitiruvchisi Grant Hillning o`ziga xos xususiyatlarini ko`rdi, u 1994-95 yillarda Kidd bilan yilning eng yaxshi debyutanti unvonini bo`lishgan va Detroit Pistons uchun ko`pincha poynt-gvard rolini bajargan. Kidd Flaggda Hillning Dyukdan chiqqanida ega bo`lgan instinkt va kuchning ajoyib kombinatsiyasini payqadi.
«Men ham buni ko`rdim,» tasdiqladi Hill, u AQSh terma jamoasi boshqaruvchi direktori sifatida Flaggni tanlangan jamoaga taklif qilgan va uning ba`zi kollej o`yinlarini sharhlagan. «U o`yinni to`liq o`ynashga harakat qiladi. Siz qaraysiz va uning 22 ochkosi bor, lekin u ochko to`plashga harakat qilgandek tuyulmaydi. U juda kamtar. U himoya qiladi. U g`alaba qozonish uchun nima zarur bo`lsa, shuni qilishga harakat qiladi.»
Flagg Dallasga kelganida, Kidd uning poynt-gvard vazifalarini qanday bajarishini aniqlashga qat`iy edi. Kidd, shuningdek, Flaggning notanish rolga qanday moslashishini ham ko`rishni xohladi. Bu tajriba uning Las-Vegas yozgi ligasidagi qisqa vaqtida boshlandi, bu yerda Mavericks Flagg ishtirok etgan ikki o`yinni bo`lib tashladi, natijalar aralash edi. Yozgi ochilish o`yinida Flagg yomon zarba berdi (maydondan 21 ta zarbadan 5 tasi to`g`ri), lekin Leykersga qarshi g`alabaning hal qiluvchi epizodida o`z izini qoldirishga muvaffaq bo`ldi. Bir daqiqadan sal ko`proq vaqt qolganda, Flagg chap qanotdan kirib, leyap urinishini to`sib qo`ydi, to`pni o`tishda olib bordi, uch himoyachini chalg`itdi va jamoadoshiga ochiq 3 ochkolik zarba berdi, bu Dallasga ustunlikni ta`minladi.
Ikkinchi o`yinda, San-Antonio Spursga qarshi mag`lubiyatda, Flagg 31 daqiqada 31 ochko to`pladi. Mavericks, ayniqsa, u to`pni olib borishda ko`rsatgan xotirjamligidan mamnun bo`lib, uni yozgi liganing qolgan qismidan chetlatdi. «U 18 yoshli o`smir kabi vaziyatni juda yaxshi boshqardi,» dedi Kidd, yaqinda Flaggni Utah Jazzga qarshi mavsumoldi g`alabasida katta tarkibda poynt-gvard sifatida boshlatgan. «Unda g`alaba qozonish iste`dodi bor. Bu uning DNKsidagi narsa, shuning uchun uni noqulay ahvolga solmaslik adolatsizlik bo`lar edi.»
Orlando Magic murabbiyi Jamahl Mosli, AQSh terma jamoasining tanlangan jamoasiga rahbarlik qilganiga ko`ra, Flaggning terma jamoa lageridagi eng esda qolarli lahzalari o`yinning o`zi paytida emas, balki undan oldingi mashg`ulotlar va uchrashuvlarda sodir bo`lgan. Flaggning qiziquvchanligi va aql-zakovati Moslini chuqur ta`sirlantirdi, ayniqsa Flagg va Magic himoyachisi Jalen Saggs o`rtasidagi NBA himoya strategiyalarining nozik jihatlari haqidagi batafsil munozara.
«U ko`p savollar berdi,» dedi Mosli. «Menimcha, bunday vaziyatda yosh yigit uchun to`g`ri savollar bera olish juda muhim. U shunchaki keyingi bosqichda nima kutayotganini tushunishni xohladi. U muloqotchan, va bu uning haqida menga ko`p narsani aytdi. Yuqori basketbol IQga ega, to`g`ri o`ynashni xohlaydigan bunday yigitlar savollar berishadi.»
Keyin Flagg o`yin paytida jasoratli chiqish qildi. «U bu lahzadan va kimga qarshi o`ynayotganidan qo`rqmadi,» dedi Mosli. «U o`zi edi. Menimcha, u xotirjam ishonch bilan keldi, ammo o`sha yigitlar bilan maydonga chiqqanida, uning xulq-atvori hech qanday o`zgarmadi.»
Agar o`yin davomida «imzoli lahza» bo`lgan bo`lsa, bu Flaggning kechki hisobni oshirishi edi, u tanlangan jamoaning ikki xonali farqdan qaytishiga sabab bo`ldi. U Jrue Holiday ustidan chap qanotdan aylanib zarba berdi, Entoni Devisning yuziga driblingdan keyin 3 ochkolik zarba berdi va Bam Adebayodan keyin va-1 zarbasini amalga oshirdi, bu esa uning zaxira o`rindig`idan olqishlarga sabab bo`ldi. Bu uchta zarba umumiy hisobda 16 ta All-Defensive jamoasiga kirgan himoyachilarga qarshi bo`ldi. Biroq, Flagg ulardan birortasini ham nishonlamadi, xotirjam va diqqatini jamlagan holda qoldi. U tanlangan jamoa bilan o`tkazgan vaqtini «katta o`quv tajribasi» deb atadi, ammo Olimpiya o`yinchilariga qarshi qilgan hech bir ishi uni hayratda qoldirmadi.
«U o`yin qilib yotgan edi,» deb esladi Devis. «U aniq ajralib turardi. Yigitlar uning nomini eshitishgan va biz kimligini bilardik. Ammo ko`plab yigitlar, men aytmoqchi emasman, ikkilanadilar, lekin siz men kabi, Bron, Stefga qarshi o`ynaganingizda, bu yigitlarni ko`rasiz va `Voy, bu nima?` deysiz. Siz ularga qoyil qolasiz va ularga sig`inasiz, endi esa ularga qarshi o`ynashingiz kerak. Siz biroz asabiylashasiz, bu normal holat. Ammo uning uchun u o`ziga nisbatan cheksiz ishonchga ega.»
Flaggning ochko to`plashi o`yinning ommaviy axborot vositalarida keng yoritilgan bo`lsa-da, sobiq AQSh terma jamoasi murabbiyi Stiv Kerrni eng ko`p hayratga solgan narsa uning yoshligida elit raqobatga qarshi o`yinni boshqarish qobiliyati edi. Kerrni «siz his qilgan kuch» hayratda qoldirdi. U shunday tushuntirdi: «Siz uni darhol his qildingiz. Va bu basketbolchi sifatida edi. Bu shunchaki uning ulkan dank qilgani emas edi. Yo`q. Bu paslar, kesishlar, kechki vaqt, hujumda boshqa imkoniyat bo`lmaganda chap qo`l bilan sakrab irg`itish edi. Bu juda izchil edi.» Kerr qo`shimcha qildi: «Men unga qarshi murabbiylik qilaman va bizda eng yaxshi o`yinchilar bor. U aqlbovar qilmas hisga ega. U juda katta, lekin o`yinni o`qishda gvard kabi o`ynaydi.»
Kerr o`yin tugaganidan keyin Dyuk murabbiyi Jon Sheyerni sport zalida ko`rganini esladi. «Men aytdim, `Bu sizni yaxshi his qilishga majbur qilgan bo`lsa kerak`,» dedi Kerr. «U shunchaki jilmaydi.» Kidd ham bu tuyg`uni tushunadi.
