Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony praised Duke freshman Cooper Flagg as a rare and exciting talent ahead of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony recently gave a candid take on Duke freshman Cooper Flagg during a 7PM in Brooklyn episode, highlighting just how unique the young prospect truly is.
Carmelo Anthony
| Position: | SF |
| Age: | 40 |
| Height: | 203 cm |
| Weight: | 104 kg |
| Birth place: | Maryland, United States of America |
When comparing the 2025 NBA Draft top prospects, Anthony noted that players like Ace Bailey resemble a familiar mold.
“We’ve seen Ace. We’ve seen Paul George. We’ve seen Kevin Garnett. We’ve seen Tracy McGrady. We’ve seen Melos. We’ve seen Jayson Tatum. Like, we’ve seen Ace.”
“That’s why he’s not being talked about. That doesn’t take anything away from him, but visually we’ve seen him, right?” Carmelo said, listing several stars that Ace Bailey reminds him of.
However, it’s Cooper Flagg who really caught Melo’s attention.
“We haven’t seen — and not to make this black and white — but we haven’t seen a white boy like that in a long f****** time.” This bold statement came shortly after the Dallas Mavericks won the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming draft, a choice expected to be used on Flagg.
Flagg had an outstanding freshman season at Duke, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks over 37 starts.
He was honored as both ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year, joining elite company like Zion Williamson.
The NBA Draft takes place June 25.
