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Cooper Flagg compared to Kobe Bryant, LeBron James after 42-point game
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Cooper Flagg had an afternoon for the ages on Saturday, dropping 42 points on Notre Dame during Duke’s 86-78 win. It’s the most points ever scored by an ACC freshman and is the first 40-point game by any Duke player since JJ Redick did it in 2006.
Flagg has had a remarkable season at Duke, one that could end with him being named the program’s first national player of the year since Zion Williamson in 2019 — and hopefully, for Blue Devil fans, a first national championship since 2015. He’ll likely be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, too.
Dick Vitale, who was keeping tabs on the game, has put Flagg up against some of the best players of all time.
“In my many years of basketball that I have seen personally, Cooper is right there with the 3 best I ever seen (sic.) at a young age,” Vitale tweeted, listing LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Magic Johnson.
Of course, it’s too early to tell if Flagg’s trajectory will mirror that of James, Bryant, or Johnson. But to even be mentioned in the same breath as those 3 players is quite a feat.
Regardless, Flagg has made a massive impact on the Duke roster since his arrival. The No. 4 Blue Devils improved to 14-2 overall and 6-0 in the ACC with the win and will next face Miami on Tuesday.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
