Cooper Flagg Names His 3 Favorite NBA Players to Watch Without Hesitation
Cooper Flagg Names His 3 Favorite NBA Players to Watch Without Hesitation originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
With the NBA Finals now in the rearview, anticipation for the 2025 NBA draft is palpable. The first round is set to unfold on Wednesday night, with the second round taking place the following day.
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The player that many have continued to talk about—and is set to be the No. 1 overall pick—is none other than Duke Blue Devils superstar Cooper Flagg, who will now become the face of the Dallas Mavericks' franchise for what they hope to be a very long time.
Ahead of the big event, Flagg appeared at "Fanatics Fest" over the weekend as he arrived in New York on Saturday night. In a recent interview with Yahoo Sports, Flagg was asked to name three players he loves to watch in the NBA, and he had a very clear answer, naming three superstars.
"I like Kawhi's game. The two way ability that he has and what he's able to do," Flagg said. "Tatum I like, [Kevin Durant] I like to watch. Those are some of the guys I like to watch and take small things and footwork things and stuff like that."
He continued, "I wouldn't say I model after anybody, but those are some of the guys I watch some film. Mostly offensively of like the different footwork and creation stuff that I've seen."
Flagg has long been projected as the No. 1 overall pick—even before playing a game for Duke—and he's consistently managed to exceed the massive expectations placed on him.
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He led the Blue Devils to the Final Four, captured both the ACC regular season and conference tournament titles, and topped the team in nearly every major statistical category, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game.
Cooper Flagg.© David Banks-Imagn Images
Now, he's poised to be the first player selected on Wednesday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Related: Cooper Flagg Sends Strong Message After Arriving in New York for 2025 NBA Draft
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
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