Cooper Flagg made the most of his first NBA campaign, closing it out as the league’s Rookie of the Year. After an impressive 2025-26 season, Flagg is already being compared to one of the greats.
Former Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd recently spoke about Flagg’s potential in an interview with ALL-STAR Magazine. According to Kidd, Flagg is already displaying LeBron James-like qualities.
“Well, I think he’s on pace — when you talk about LeBron and what he did as a young player and then, also, Cooper’s ability, he’s one that loves to win, wants to win, likes to work, is not afraid of the moment,” Kidd said. “You saw at Duke, taking a game-winning shot and missing. He’s not afraid of the moment. I would say he is on pace, that’s his comp. Now, can he stay healthy like LeBron?”
“I think all greats are judged with championships, not so much stats,” Kidd said. “But that’s the one stat that will stand out, and hopefully Cooper can achieve that.”