Mark Cuban compares Cooper Flagg to Kobe Bryant: Kobe didn’t come in as a polished player, it took him two years

“I think the difference is that Cooper can pass,” Cuban said. “He can play the game. He can defend. So you can put him in any NBA game.” Aside from Flagg’s poor shooting numbers, the Mavericks walked away actually impressed with how the No. 1 pick fared. Flagg added six rebounds, four assists, three steals and a block. He often assumed ball-handling duties. He ran the floor well in transition. He performed that job description in 32 minutes, though Cuban joked it felt like “90 minutes.” “He’s only 18 so you can play him 90 minutes in a summer league game,” Cuban said. “Even if you could tell he was gassed, he still made the right play. He didn’t try to do too much and say, ‘Hey, I’m the No. 1 pick. Let me try to show you why. He played basketball the whole time.’ And he’s 18. My daughter just graduated from high school last month, and he’s younger than her.” -via SportsKeeda / July 11, 2025