Brian Scarablin couldn’t be held back when asked to predict how good the Cooper Flag was.
The first overall pick of the NBA Draft has sky high expectations, and the top pick of “consensus” is expected to do more.
Players like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson and Victor Wenbagnama are expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame before turning 19, with Cooper Flag on the same boat.
Flagg has been reclassified into the 2025 class and is actually a year younger than the majority of his fellow draft classmates. But he is easily the most hyped player and is expected to influence the Dallas Mavericks’ victory at both ends of the ball.
Due to two-way domination, Flag has been compared to legends like Scotty Pippen, Kevin Garnett and Kawi Leonard, but one of the former players did not hold back.
It would be hard to find a basketball fan who doesn’t think James is the greatest player of all time or the second best player. With four MVPs, 21 All-Stars and an All-NBA nod, four championships and more points than anyone in league history, LeBron has joined Michael Jordan as the best two players of all time.
After appearing as stars, players like Anthony Edwards, Giannis Antetocomo and Leonard have been compared to James simply because of gravity, but before the draft, only Deshaun Stevenson (Jordan) and Andrew Wiggins (James) have been compared to goats.
Brian Scalabrin was called the next LeBron, but neither of them came close to the hype.
“I think it’s LeBron James, but you don’t have to be like a freight train like £260, and the Cooper Flag is a supercomputer,” Scarablin argued.
“Everything told him within 24 hours, he figured it out. Next time I told him something else, I was working for him on the second day in Maine.
Before Flag became famous, he worked with Maine’s Scalabrine, and is famous for embarrassing the “average Jaws” that the NBA champions think can beat him.
After an 11-year career, Scalabrine joined the Golden State Warriors coaching staff and later became a New England trainer and TV analyst. When Flag was 13, Scalabrine reluctantly allowed him to compete against a much older player, and expected him to be humbly sent home.
“His trainer wanted me to look at Cooper,” Scarablin said. “He told me, “I got a 13 year old that can play against your main kids. I’ve seen him for a second, and he totally believes it.
Scalabrine has long been famous for not wanting to give props to untested players, so his comparisons should not be underestimated.
Keep in mind that setting Flagg to a failure while the next LeBron James is advertised was probably called “The Chosen” before James was drafted. Players rarely end up in hype. Flag has tools to meet and exceed expectations on both ends of the court, as well as competitive drives.
