Cooper Flagg, Los Angeles Lakers, Larry Bird
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Ahead of his second NBA season, Dallas Mavericks star forward Cooper Flagg was praised by former NBA player DeMarcus Cousins on the Gil’s Arena podcast.
Cousins called Flagg a mix of players like LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, but some people don’t see it because the Mavs star is white.
Iman Shumpert pushed back by mentioning other white players like Larry Bird, but Cousins believes the Boston Celtics legend can’t get to the rim like Flagg can.
Lakers Legend Defends Larry Bird
[Byron Scott
GettyByron Scott of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on in the first half while taking on the Utah Jazz at Staples Center on April 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/1920x1080-2026-10-13T002109.694.png)
In a recent episode of Byron Scott’s Fast Break, the Los Angeles Lakers legend defended his once rival Larry Bird. Scott agreed with DeMarcus Cousins that Cooper Flagg is more athletic than Bird, but that’s about it in terms of everything basketball-related.
“(Flagg) is able to jump higher than Larry Bird, right?” Scott said. “But other than that, Cooper Flagg got sh*t on Larry Bird. I’m gonna tell you that straight. Larry Bird, to me, still is, and I even hate saying it like this, the coldest white boy I’ve ever seen play basketball.
“Because of the fact that he hated for white boys to even guard him cause he thought that was disrespectful,” he continued. “He thought it was disrespectful. He wanted brothers to guard him.”
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The Lakers legend added that Bird has better shooting, passing and basketball IQ than Flagg. He even mentioned Pete Maravich as the only white player close to the three-time NBA MVP in terms of caliber and talent.
Maravich was described as a player “way ahead of his time.”
To be fair to Flagg, he’s coming off an impressive rookie season. He averaged 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, en route to winning Rookie of the Year.
Cooper Flagg Expectations
[Cooper Flagg, Dallas Mavericks
Getty](https://heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/1920x1080-2026-09-15T214530.248.png)
Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates after a 100-93 win against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on March 27, 2026 in Portland, Oregon.
The Dallas Mavericks are not considered title contenders this season, but they can make some noise, especially with Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.
However, Flagg is the key to the Mavericks’ success this season and beyond. But what are the expectations for the reigning Rookie of the Year?
The Ringer’s Michael Pina dropped three questions regarding what Flagg could accomplish in his second year.
“Will he make his first All-Star appearance or even snag a spot on one of the All-NBA teams?” Pina wrote. “Can he average something like 27 points, eight boards, and six assists per game? Will catchall metrics recognize him as one of the 15 to 20 best players on the planet?”
That’s a lot for a soon-to-be 20-year-old star, though he has already proven last season that he can step up his game despite all the circumstances against him.
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Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He's currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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