The vibe with Cooper Flagg is what you’d expect from a No. 1 pick. The preseason sample is small, but in those minutes he’s shown the hustle, defensive versatility, and offensive feel that make you think he’s for real.
With flashes like that, the comparisons were inevitable. Some see shades of Scottie Pippen, Jayson Tatum, or even Kevin Garnett. Flagg’s versatile game makes those parallels easy to draw, but when weighing the comparisons, former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins made his own call.
True to form, Perkins didn’t hold back. Instead of the usual names, he compared Flagg to four-time NBA champion LeBron James, who, like Flagg, stands out as a do-it-all player with elite basketball IQ.
“He is the white version of LeBron James. When you talk about his IQ for the game, he has that. When you talk about his ability to be able to create, defend, do all those things, Cooper Flagg has that package, just minus a little bit of the athleticism,” Perkins said.
Kendrick Perkins on Cooper Flagg:
“He is the white version of LeBron James. When you talk about his IQ for the game, he has that…”
(via @ESPNNBA)
pic.twitter.com/GlX6ywq0j6— MFFL NATION (@NationMffl) October 14, 2025
