NBA Champion Says Duke Had Better Players Than Cooper Flagg In Past

Shandel Richardson | Apr 6, 2025

Apr 5, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) walks off the court after losing to the Houston Cougars in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images / Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

Duke freshman Cooper Flagg is the expected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft in June.

Even though he is set to become the sixth Blue Devils player to earn that honor, some question if he is the best player in school history. Former NBA player Avery Johnson, now an analyst for CBS Sports, recently said Flagg is barely top five.

He listed him behind Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Jayson Tatum and Zion Williamson. Here's the clip:

NBA STAR GETTING ADVICE FROM PAUL PIERCE

Boston Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown knows he's not getting any younger.

At some point, he's going to have to develop that "old-man" game. So he's studying from one of the best.

As he ages, Brown recently said he is trying to mimic former Celtics star Paul Pierce.

“It’s funny because he was at the game today, but before the game, I was watching some Paul Pierce footage,” Brown said “Just getting to your spots, playing at a certain pace. And today I felt like I didn't have my normal burst, but I was still able to be effective.”

Pierce, who helped lead the Celtics to the 2008 championship, was the master at getting to his spots. While he wasn't as athletic later in his career, he still was an effective scorer. Brown hopes to become a similar player.

“[I’m] using more of my skill, playing a little bit slower, which could sometimes be a good thing,” Brown said. “So it’s all about just figuring that out. And I’ve been using these games to kind of figure it out. And, just taking it one day at a time.”

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Back In The Day Hoops On SI. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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