During the prime of his career, Mavericks great Dirk Nowitzki often was unfairly compared to Larry Bird. Potentially, eventually, Flagg might be the much better Bird comp because of his two-way abilities; he’s more athletic than Bird and Nowitzki.

The projected No. 1 overall draft pick may have grown a bit in his one-and-done Duke basketball campaign.

The future of the Dallas Mavericks franchise was altered on Monday night. Despite entering the 2025 NBA draft lottery with a 1.8% chance of winning the No. 1 overall pick, the team defied the odds and landed the top selection in the upcoming draft.

The college basketball legend spoke about Flagg’s skill set a day after the Dallas Mavericks won the NBA draft lottery, setting themselves up to select Flagg with the top pick in June. Krzyzewski recalled seeing Flagg play at Montverde Academy as a high schooler.

The Dallas Mavericks had a very slim chance of winning the 2025 NBA Draft lottery on Monday night. However, that slim chance paid off and the Mavericks won the No. 1 overall pick and the right to select Duke Blue Devils standout Cooper Flagg.

Monday was a big day for Duke star Cooper Flagg as he learned of his (likely) future home for the foreseeable future. To start the day at the NBA Draft Combine he measured nearly an inch taller than he did before his one-and-done Blue Devils season.

The talent speaks for itself,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “But I love coaching the person. He’s all about the right stuff.”

NBA fans on X chimed in with their reactions to the Flagg-Pippen comparison as it grabbed attention on social media. One user commented that Flagg's ability to take over a game is more reminiscent of LeBron James than Scottie Pippen, while another questioned whether Flagg is the same type of "quick-twitch" athlete Pippen was in his prime.