The USA Basketball men’s team traveled to Las Vegas this week as part of its preparations for the Paris Summer Olympics. As is customary when the senior team is present, several young players may be part of the chosen team, and stories are highlighted of this team having joined the Olympic team in the past.
This time, there was a lot of communication about one specific addition to the variety team: Cooper Flagg, the 17-year-old freshman heading to Duke and the school’s first player to earn an invite since 2013. Flagg, who is the favorite to become the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, he earned praise for his stay in Las Vegas and on Monday drew attention to the melee between the two teams, as Ben Golliver of the Washington Post tweeted a collection of his highlights of the game he made He seemed much more than a talented teenager who never played ball in school again.
– Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
– Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
At one point in the fray, Flagg stopped to make a 3-pointer on Anthony Davis and tackled him, returned to the defense and, after a turnover, ran through the box to get out with no one near him.
– Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 8, 2024
In the end, the senior team earned a 74-73 victory, but Flagg earned an extraordinarily high prize after the game ended.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 8, 2024
Flagg, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2025, is a Maine local who attended Montverde Academy and is the leader of Duke’s top-ranked recruiting class.