Duke freshman Cooper Flagg ‘kicked butt’ at US Olympic team scrimmage as NBA stars are left stunned by teen
A COLLEGE freshman has turned heads with his performance against a Team USA team packed with superstars.
Duke's Cooper Flagg, 17, was invited to work out against the USA's Olympic squad during its training camp in Las Vegas this week.
Flagg, a 6-foot-9 forward from Newport, Maine, held his own against a team of NBA stars during Monday's scrimmage.
He currently has no college points but emerged from the practice with plenty of admirers.
Flagg was named USA Basketball's Male Athlete of the Year in 2022, per ESPN.
He is projected by ESPN to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft.
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Flagg's "no fear" approach to facing off with a team that featured Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday didn't go unnoticed.
"He kicked butt here," said US select team coach Jamahl Mosley.
"There's a respect factor for what he's done.
"People who have not seen him play, as he gets himself going within the game, they quickly see what he can do."
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Flagg was the first college player asked to be part of the select team since 2013.
He helped lead Montverde Academy in Florida to a 30-0 record and a national title last season.
The 17-year-old opted to join Duke over reigning NCAA champions the UConn Huskies.
"To be able to do what he did, not even playing a college game, let alone an NBA game, there's no fear," said the Miami Heat's Jaime Jaquez Jr., who played alongside Flagg in Monday's game.
"It's relentless. And the thing that you can tell about him is that he just has a knack and the will to win.
"He doesn't need the ball. He just finds a way to it. And the ball finds its way to him.
"That's something that you can't teach. He's just got a great feel for the game."
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"The opportunity, it was great," Flagg told reporters after the scrimmage, which the Olympic team won 74-73.
"It was a blessing to be here. I think just the physicality and just the level of where I want to get to, there's a lot to get better at, a lot where I need to keep improving.
"This showed just how big the details are.
"I was shocked, I was surprised and I was really excited for this opportunity.
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"And I'm just really blessed that I was able to come out and capitalize on it and show what I have.
"I was really grateful to come out and learn. That was the biggest thing for me - just being able to learn and grow, to share a gym with all of these great, great names. Legends. So, I'm just truly blessed."