NBA scouts and coaches fell even farther in love with incoming Duke basketball freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] over the weekend, and they weren’t the only ones impressed.
After the 17-year-old produced multiple highlights during scrimmages against the country’s Olympic team, including two consecutive buckets during Monday’s final scrimmage, Kevin Durant and other basketball stars took the time to uplift him.
During a Monday afternoon media session, Durant praised the young Flagg and showed optimism for his future.
“He looks like a hell of a player,” Durant said. “Somebody who is only going to get better with more experience. He’s 17 years old coming in here playing like he’s a vet, almost. No emotion. Just going out there and doing his job.”
It’s hard to find better praise than Durant, a former NBA MVP. The offensive superstar won back-to-back championships with the Golden State Warriors back in 2017-18, and he’s eighth on the league’s all-time scoring list with 28,924 career points.
Suns’ Kevin Durant on Duke’s Cooper Flagg at USA Basketball camp: “He looks like a hell of a player. … He’s 17 years old coming in here playing like a vet almost. No emotion. Just going out there and doing his job. That’s a good sign.” pic.twitter.com/IupKki3c8T
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 9, 2024
The Athletic released a compilation of other NBA players and coaches talking about the young Blue Devil signee. Every source, from current coaches to All-Stars, walked away from Las Vegas as a fan. Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Detroit’s Jalen Duren, and Miami’s Jamie Jaquez Jr. all offered some anecdotes about his work ethic and talent.
The most impressive quote, however, came from Golden State’s Trayce Jackson-Davis.
I just think that he’s got a competitive fire, and he’s not afraid of anyone and he’s gonna go at you,” Jackson-Davis said. “You need that as a player. And when you’re already like that, and you’re 17, the sky’s the limit.”