Duke freshman Cooper Flagg is putting some of the best players in the world on notice at USA Basketball’s training camp.
Team USA has begun its preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, training with the U.S. national team in Las Vegas. Highlights from their workout went viral on Monday after Flagg demonstrated exactly why he is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.
At just 17 years old, Flagg is the youngest player in USA Basketball’s training camp. He became the first college player chosen for the select team in more than a decade.
“I was quite surprised because it’s not a normal thing,” Flagg said. He told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps“So I was definitely very honored and excited to have this opportunity.”
Flagg will face one of the most star-studded teams the U.S. has ever fielded on the Olympic stage. Generational talents like LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant are just a few of the NBA icons the teenager likely idolized growing up.
“At first, I was a little bit in awe when I first got here,” Flagg told ESPN. “But once the ball got up there, for me, at the end of the day, it’s basketball.”
That was made abundantly clear when highlights from their practice match against Team USA appeared.
Highlights from Team Cooper Flagg Select vs. Team USA
News quickly traveled to social media once Flagg began lighting up Team USA during a scrimmage on Monday.
The 17-year-old had an impressive stretch that was captured on camera by several journalists present.
He hit a 3-pointer in the face of Anthony Davis, scrambled to challenge a pass to AD and then dove to the other end for a putback and-one over Bam Adebayo to give the Select Team a late lead over Team USA.
Duke commit Cooper Flagg has taken over USA Basketball’s scrimmage, hitting a three-pointer and then finishing a tough putback image.twitter.com/SB3Y4fDpYt
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
Earlier in the exhibition game, Flagg caught Jrue Holiday on a jumper from the post.
Cooper Flagg sinks a nice spinning jumper!
Practice match between selected teams and national teams ? photo.twitter.com/TF3DX9VLa1
— The future of the NBA starts now (@nbafuturenow) July 8, 2024
Even in a practice match, three highlights like that Against three of the best defenders in the NBA… it’s nothing for a teenager who hasn’t even played a single college game.
This happened just a day after he threw a behind-the-back pass off a dribble…
Select Team and get to work.
?? #USABMNT X #Paris2024 image.twitter.com/cnybJcUOuc
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) July 7, 2024
…and he dunked nicely after recovering from a Davis block.
Cooper Flagg recovers for the slam ?
Practice match between selected teams and national teams ? image.twitter.com/IXbb9vDrgK
— The future of the NBA starts now (@nbafuturenow) July 7, 2024
After Flagg’s big day on Monday, ESPN’s Marc Spears reported That a current NBA coach called the future Duke star the best player on the All-Star Team.
That list includes recent top-five picks Brandon Miller, Keegan Murray, Jabari Smith Jr., Jalen Suggs and Amen Thompson, as well as other young impact players like Jalen Duren and Trey Murphy.
Select Team head coach Jamahl Mosley, who was a finalist for NBA Coach of the Year with the Magic this season, also had nothing but praise for Flagg.
“Well, I hadn’t been around him, so just getting to know him and talking to him on the first day of practice the other day, you can see the quiet confidence he has in himself,” Mosley told ESPN.
“… [He has a] High basketball IQ, tough, eager to learn. Gets to the spots where he needs to shoot very frequently, is able to get to the rim and has great touch on his shots.
“I mean he can play. There’s no middle ground. I’m saying in many different ways he can play without any problems.”
Flagg is already finding ways to stand out and prove why he’s considered the top American NBA prospect in more than a decade, just days into USA Basketball’s training camp.
