LOADINGERROR LOADINGESPN might need to get its glasses checked.Cooper Flagg is the superstar from Duke who was about to be named the top pick in the NBA Draft on Wednesday in Brooklyn, New York.But an ESPN host introduced him twice on the red carpet when another player was on camera. (Watch the video below.)Advertisement
“Welcome back to SportsCenter, you’re looking at Cooper Flagg and in just over an hour from now...” host Elle Duncan said as the monitor showed someone else.“That is not Cooper Flagg at all, actually. That is quite famously Ace Bailey,” Duncan said of the Rutgers star who would later be chosen fifth overall by the Utah Jazz.“There’s Cooper Flagg!” Duncan exclaimed as the camera panned to another player. “I was gonna say, a lot of — no, that’s not him either. That’s not Cooper Flagg either.”Advertisement
It was Bailey’s former college teammate Dylan Harper, who was picked second by the San Antonio Spurs.In fairness to Duncan, there might have been miscommunication with the draft production crew. But if you’re gonna hilariously goof, you might as well double down.20 Years Of Free JournalismYour Support Fuels Our MissionYour Support Fuels Our MissionFor two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can't do this without you.We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.We remain committed to providing you with the unflinching, fact-based journalism everyone deserves.Thank you again for your support along the way. We’re truly grateful for readers like you! Your initial support helped get us here and bolstered our newsroom, which kept us strong during uncertain times. Now as we continue, we need your help more than ever. We hope you will join us once again.Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.20 Years Of Free JournalismFor two decades, HuffPost has been fearless, unflinching, and relentless in pursuit of the truth. Support our mission to keep us around for the next 20 — we can't do this without you.Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.That is most certainly not Cooper Flagg. pic.twitter.com/zGUP0WChko— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 25, 2025Advertisement
Here's the real Cooper Flagg with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after the Dallas Mavericks chose Flagg first in the draft.via Associated PressRelatedNBAESPNNBA DraftNBA Draft Pick's Unexpectedly Blunt 1-Word Reaction Goes Viral, And Fans Are DividedOklahoma City Thunder Beat Indiana Pacers 103-91 For NBA TitleFormer NBA Star Booed Upon Arrival At Trump's Crypto Dinner