Cooper Flagg hasn’t even played a competitive NBA game yet; however, the hype around the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft only continues to grow. Flagg has looked like the complete package on the court, both in Summer League and in preseason. During the latest Dallas Mavericks game, he showed off his positional versatility.
Kyrie Irving is set to miss most of the regular season, leaving the Mavs shorthanded at the guard position. With a stacked frontcourt, head coach Jason Kidd experimented by playing Flagg as the facilitator at point guard. And this was enough for former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins to bust out the LeBron James comparisons.
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"You damn right. … [Cooper Flagg] is the white version of LeBron James. When you talk about his IQ for the game, he has that."@KendrickPerkins shares his thoughts on Cooper Flagg running point guard for the Mavericks 👀 pic.twitter.com/fPcpyhvW7q
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 14, 2025
“You damn right. I said it on the draft night, he [Cooper Flagg] is the white version of LeBron James,” Perkins said on ESPN. “When you talk about his IQ for the game, he has that.”
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James controls the ball against Minnesota Timberwolves guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
Calling Flagg the white version of LeBron is a huge compliment, but not necessarily one that fits. The young star’s game is more like that of a Jayson Tatum-Anthony Davis hybrid. His playmaking could certainly get better in the years to come, but it’s hard to imagine it reaching James’ level.
Comparisons like this could also put undue pressure on the young Mavericks star. Having been drafted to a team with immediate championship expectations is difficult, even without the added hype. If he does somehow live up to Perkins’ bold assessment, though, nobody would be happier about it than Mavs fans.
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