Retiring as one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen, Carmelo Anthony no doubt understood the pressures and scrutiny associated with being an NBA player. A primary reason why Melo wanted to put no burden on the Dallas Mavericks rookie sensation Cooper Flagg.
The third pick in the iconic draft class of 2003, Anthony was no stranger to unrealistic expectations and goals from fans and so-called analysts. He was also a first-hand witness to the excessive media scrutiny imposed on his draftmate and close friend, LeBron James.
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Though the Kid from Akron did not disappoint, there are enough cases to suggest how top draft prospects fell prey to the surrounding pressures. Hence, Anthony was doing his bit to shield Flagg from all the unnecessary noise during a recent episode of his podcast.
“You don’t even know how to lead. In a sense, you ain’t have this experience yet, so you don’t know what to lead. You wasn’t even in school long enough to lead. You know what I mean? So, you don’t know. You stepping into a whole realm like this is something totally different. Just go hoop, be who you are,” advised Anthony, who played 19 seasons in the NBA.
Nonetheless, Melo feels Flagg has the perfect setup for his NBA debut, given that the Mavericks were strong title contenders. A situation rarely seen in the case of top draft picks, barring a few exceptions like Magic Johnson and Tim Duncan.
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Cooper’s rookie similarities to Magic and Tim
Considering how the draft system functions in the NBA, in most cases, the top picks land with the lottery or tanking teams. But there are instances when top seeds in the standings benefit from this luxury as well, courtesy of a trade or by a mere stroke of luck.
Something we saw with the Los Angeles Lakers and Magic Johnson in 1979, as well as with Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs in 1997. Both No. 1 picks entered a relatively comfortable setup where they did not need to do the significant heavy lifting from the get-go.
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Johnson and Duncan were blessed to have teammates like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and David Robinson by their sides, respectively. Recently, there have been several discussions about the current rookie sensation, Flagg, being in a similar spot, something Melo echoed on his podcast as well.
“Maybe let me see, Magic going into a situation like that with the Lakers. I don’t see nobody else who’s stepping into a winning situation like that who have opportunity to win a championship…Tim Duncan was the other one. They (Spurs) won it two years after he came in. They won in ’99. He came in ’97. I think that’s a perfect example,”explained the New York Knicks veteran.
Starting their careers on contending teams, Johnson and Duncan never became complacent. The Lakers’ point guard remains the only player to date to win Finals MVP in his rookie year. On the other hand, The Big Fundamental played all 82 games in his debut year, averaging a highly efficient double-double: 21.1 points and 11.9 rebounds.
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According to Melo, Cooper is on the same list as Magic and Tim, given the star-studded roster of the Mavs.
Starting in a championship environment
The Mavericks were already a strong contender in the West before Flagg arrived on the scene. The experienced line-up boasts former champions in Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving (when he gets healthy) and Klay Thompson. Not to mention the decorated resume of former player-turned-coach Jason Kidd.
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Being surrounded by the right basketball minds, Flagg certainly could not have asked for more. From how things appear, Cooper is fully utilizing his privilege. The Duke product has been nothing but impressive in the preseason so far, showing his versatility on both ends.
Although one does not necessarily expect Flagg to lead the Mavs in his rookie season, the sky is the limit when it comes to the 6’9″ forward achieving greatness in the NBA. Cooper could very well win a title in his debut year itself, provided the roster gets fully healthy.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.