Cooper Flagg was burdened with lofty expectations before he even stepped on an NBA court, courtesy of being the 2025 first-overall pick. So far through his rookie season, he has proven that those ‘generational talent’ tags may have been there for a good reason. His most recent performance, however, seems to have solidified his place in the league’s history books.
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Before the Dallas Mavericks’ matchup against the Charlotte Hornets, Flagg was the favorite to win Rookie of the Year. He has been very good for the Mavs, averaging 18.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. His performance on the night showed that those numbers are only about to get crazier.
The Duke alum finished the game with 49 points and 10 rebounds, thus tallying the most points in a single game by a teenager in NBA history. He didn’t even seem like a rookie on the court. His skill and composure aren’t something the league witnesses quite often.
NBA insider Brian Windhorst, who has covered the NBA for over 20 seasons, even claimed that he hadn’t seen many players like Flagg. The only one he views as comparable to Flagg is arguably the greatest player in NBA history.
“I’ve seen three teenagers before Flagg who have been blown away impressive to me,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s First Take. “LeBron, Luka, and Wembanyama. The way Cooper controls the game on both ends of the floor, the only one he compares to is LeBron.”
“This is the most complete teenager we have seen since LeBron James.”@WindhorstESPN weighs in on Cooper Flagg after his historic 49-point game pic.twitter.com/1RMBGZ9ALe
— First Take (@FirstTake) January 30, 2026
Putting anyone in the same breath as LeBron James isn’t something to take lightly. However, Windhorst made sure to clarify his statement. By no means is he comparing their play styles. He is mainly referring to their maturity level despite their age.
“He has a different game than LeBron. He’s more of a defensive dominating player than LeBron was as a 19-year-old. Cooper Flagg can do everything. Handle the ball, create, rebound, guard multiple different positions,” Windhorst proclaimed.
Of course, Flagg has a long way to go before he can replicate the success LeBron has experienced. Nevertheless, he seems to be well on his way. That said, LeBron himself is rooting for the teenage prodigy.
“He’s a winner,” LeBron said on the Mind the Game podcast. “He just makes winning plays. You will hope that a player of is caliber just comes to work every day just trying to get better, and I think he’s going to get better and better.”
This quote from LeBron came back in August 2025, well before the start of the 2025-26 NBA season. Evidently, Flagg has worked tirelessly on his game, and the results are for everyone to see.
