https://hoopshype.com/rumor/3717965/

[Ben Golliver] Cooper Flagg, 18, on why he reclassified to graduate high school in three years and position himself as the youngest No. 1 NBA Draft pick since LeBron James: “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.’”

29 comments

  3. I can’t wait for Nico Harrison to pass on this guy for Ace Bailey tomorrow.

  6. This sounds like the opening of Spiderman 2 game when Kraven’s henchman says “Perhaps a new hunting ground”.

  8. Crazy part is he went to the next Gym, a year younger than his competitors, and was once again the best player in the gym (the whole college nation)

  9. Elite quote from his mom, I agree, always push yourself. With that mentality and talent you cannot fail, at least for reasons inside your control

  11. Cooper Flagg actually had the greatest 17-18 year old college basketball season of all time. Not sure how that’ll translate to the future, but it was actually better than both Shaq’s freshman year at LSU and Tim Duncan’s freshman year at Wake Forest (to be fair both were about 3-4 months younger). 

    Shaq famously has said he wasn’t ready for college basketball as a freshman and got dominated by Stanley Roberts in practice. Meanwhile, Flagg won NPOY as a freshman. 

    Not saying Flagg will be that good because he doesn’t have the physical attributes of Shaq or Duncan, but his production was unprecedented as a reclassification player, and that alone gives him a higher ceiling than what people think. 

  14. complete opposite camp of Ace Bailey, go be mid with no competition around you!

  15. Momma always said a gym is like a box of chocolates, you never know which one will quit and join the NBA 

  17. Absolutely absurd for him to have had the year he did while being a year younger + playing during a time where college basketball teams have never been older.

    He put up 22/11/4/3/2 as a 17-year-old against an Auburn team that had an average age of like 24.

  18. Not to take away from his badass quote, but I’m not convinced hes better than AJ Dybantsa. In a way didnt he leave the gym where he might not have been R1P1 and go to a class with less competition?

  22. How does reclasifying work? Can anybody just say they want to skip a grade?

  26. Nothing grows in the comfort zone. If you want to get better, you need to go to where the competition is better.

  27. If he was born less than two full weeks later, he wouldn’t be eligible for this draft. Must be 19 in *calendar year* of draft. He turns 19 on December 21, 2025.

  29. There was an snl skit about this. Jason Sudeikis was a guidance counselor for LeBron. It was hilarious, I’m gonna look for it.

Leave a Reply