'He Will Not Fail!' Cooper Flagg GPA Turns Heads at NBA Draft As He Joins Dallas Mavs
DALLAS - As Cooper Flagg gets ready to pack his bags to come to Dallas as he is officially the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA Draft - a selection held most fortuitously by the Mavericks - the Duke phenom has all the markings of a franchise player in the pros...
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Including smarts.
Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game for the Blue Devils on his way to earning comparisons to everybody from Dirk Nowitzki (Shaq's idea) to LeBron James/Kevin Garnett (Kendrick Perkins' contribution) to Kawhi Leonard (Flagg's own comp).
One way or another, ESPN's Jay Bilas believes Flagg... and maturity and intellect are a part of that belief.
"Flagg has All-NBA potential, and I believe that he will reach it," Bilas said. "As long as he stays healthy, he will not fail in the NBA.''
"He will not fail''... is powerful stuff.
And why not?
"He is just different,'' Bilas said. "Putting aside the skills and measurable traits, Flagg (6-9, 225) is one of the most competitive players I have seen at this age. Yes, a lot of prospects are competitive, but this guy is on the highest tier of competitors. At only 18, Flagg is mature beyond his years - far beyond most 22-year-old prospects in this draft."
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Flagg is special physically, of course. But yes, the Duke kid - who will wear No. 32 in Dallas - is also smart.
Flagg had a 4.10 GPA at Montverde Academy. And then he matriculated to Duke... and this year, the school revealed that Flagg had a 4.0 GPA during the fall semester.
That promo from the school: "What if Cooper Flagg is: the best defensive player in college basketball and leads the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, steals and blocks and got a 4.0 fall GPA and turned 18 last month.''
He was all of that. He is all of that. And he brings his brains and his brawn, now officially, to the Dallas Mavs.
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Related: Shaq Sparks Debate by Comparing 'Baby Dirk' Cooper Flagg to Mavs Icon Nowitzki
Related: Kyrie Irving Commits to Mavs With $119 Million Deal on Eve of "Flagg Day"
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 26, 2025, where it first appeared.
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