Kendrick Perkins Drops Wild Cooper Flagg Comparison with LeBron James and Kevin Garnett

The Dallas Mavericks are poised to land the most coveted prospect of the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg, on Wednesday.

Kendrick Perkins Drops Wild Cooper Flagg Comparison with LeBron James and Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett, Cooper Flagg and LeBron James (Image by FirstSportz)

A day ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft, alarm bells have already started to ring, with the ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins at the helm of it. Much noise has been made of the Duke Blue Devils star Cooper Flagg ahead of the Draft day, which the Dallas Mavericks are reportedly going to pick due to their 1st pick lottery card.

This insanely boosts the Mavs’ roster that already possesses the likes of Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis. Emphasizing Flagg’s potential, Kendrick Perkins called him one of the sport’s brightest rising stars, going so far as to make a bold, headline-grabbing claim on ESPN’s Draft Day show.

If LeBron James and Kevin Garnett had a baby, you’d get Cooper Flagg.

Kendrick Perkins said

Perkins never stops out when it comes to audacious predictions, and this comparison of Flagg to two of the NBA’s top players over the last 20 years was no exception. While Kevin Garnett was an excellent defensive anchor with a varied offensive style that helped him win an MVP award and an NBA Finals, LeBron James, the league’s all-time scorer and arguably the best, doesn’t need an introduction.

Flagg would undoubtedly has a generational talent and if he were to catch up to Garnett and James, and he’s probably going to join a team where he can compete immediately. Even though Kyrie Irving will be out for a long period, Dallas’ other role players, like Anthony Davis, will still be able to assist.

However, without even setting foot on the court in the NBA, these are huge comparisons that are being made for the Duke star. However, Flagg is not new to all this. Even the great Coach K spoke highly of his prospect, ranking him over the likes of Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson a few months back.

Cooper Flagg on his mom’s quote that made him enter Duke early

Cooper Flagg is probably headed to become the youngest No. 1 selection since LeBron James after deciding to reclassify in high school and enroll at Duke a year early last season. Flagg took over the NBA headlines with his immense numbers for Duke. Most recently, he revealed his mother’s advice that resulted in his reclassification before the draft.

A quote my mom likes to say a lot: ‘If you’re the best player in the gym, then you need to find a new gym.’

Cooper Flagg said as per Ben Golliver

At Duke, Flagg had an average of 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists. After his initial year with the Blue Devils, he had to make a similar choice this year. He had the option of continuing his collegiate career for one more season, hoping to win a title and enjoy the advantages of NIL; nevertheless, he once again took his mother’s advice.

Cooper Flagg made a clear case regarding the prospect of following Luka Doncic at the Mavs

Looks like the Dallas Mavericks are about to not only get a talented player in Cooper Flagg but also a mentality monster. His recent interview ahead of the NBA 2025 Draft day is a clear showing of it. Flagg answered many questions ahead of his proposed move to the Mavs. One of them in particular was the prospect of following former Maverick Luka Doncic.

Cooper Flagg 2
Cooper Flagg (Credits: X)

I wouldn’t look at anything as pressure–I’m not worried about living up to certain players’ expectations or things like that. I’m just going to be myself and try to get better every day.

Cooper Flagg said via Ben Golliver

As for the Mavs, they are fresh off a season in which they finished 39-43 and were ranked 10th in the Western Conference. They lost to Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies in the second game of their play-in tournament, although they won the first one against the Sacramento Kings. Flagg will have a lot of work cut out for him alongside Davis and Irving ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.

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