Cooper Flagg already has all the hype and talk surrounding him going into his rookie season, having starred at Duke for one year before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.
The 6-foot-9 Flagg hasn’t played a regular-season NBA game yet, but he is already named on quite a prestigious list: Sports Illustrated’s 50 Most Influential People in Sports.
Flagg joins other athletes such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lamine Yamal and Arch Manning of those who have a massive influence on sports.
If anyone can live up to the hype of being the top hoops prodigy since LeBron James, it is Flagg. The NBA’s 2025 No. 1 draft pick has both the game and the calm demeanor to make it work. The Mavericks rookie is also positioned to become the face of New Balance’s basketball line.
That’s a lot of pressure on the 18-year-old Flagg, but after all of the hype that surrounded his freshman season at Duke, he is certainly ready for it.Â