At just 17 years old, Cooper Flagg is on the fast track to NBA stardom. The Duke forward is the consensus pick to go No. 1 overall in next June's draft. Ahead of his freshman season, Flagg revealed when his NBA draft dreams first began to come into focus.

“I think the first draft that I really look back to and have a vivid memory of watching was [Jayson] Tatum's draft,” Flagg told ESPN's Jonathan Givony. “I remember where I was watching it at my old house in Maine with my family on the couch. And I think, yeah, I had that feeling for the first time watching that draft where it really started to become like, ‘Ok, I can kind of see a road map of where this is where I want to get someday.'”

“Obviously there's so much that I have to do, so much work I have to put in, but I think that's where the dream kind of became bigger for me, became more real life,” he continued. “Before, when I was younger, it kind of felt like people would just shoot me down. It was always kind of my dream, but I felt like being a kid from Maine people were just underestimating me and telling me it wasn't possible or I wouldn't be able to get there. But something about that draft, just watching it at that time in my life, that dream just stuck in my head.”

Several NBA teams are already positioning themselves for a chance to select Flagg.

Can Cooper Flagg change the fortunes of an NBA franchise?

Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) is introduced to the fans during Countdown to Craziness at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
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After dominating at Montverde Academy, Flagg is college basketball's most hyped prospect since Zion Williamson. At 6-foot-9, he's an explosive athlete who impacts games on both ends of the floor. With impressive ball-handling and shotmaking ability, he projects as a three-level scorer who can guard across multiple positions at the next level.

Flagg was the top player at the Nike EYBL 16U circuit last summer, averaging 26.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 4.5 blocks per game. He reclassified after the performance, skipping a year of high school and making the cutoff for the NBA 2025 NBA draft by just 10 days.

His most eye-opening performance came this summer after he was selected to the USA Basketball Select Team, who practiced against the USA's Olympic squad ahead of the Paris games. Flagg impressed during scrimmages against NBA superstars such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Stephen Curry, Devin Booker and others.

One NBA head coach told Andscape's Marc J. Spears that the 17-year-old was the best player on the Select Team, which included Brandon Miller, Trey Murphy, Keegan Murray, Jaime Jacquez, Jalen Duren and Amen Thompson, amongst other NBA players.

Flagg will take the floor for the first time with Duke in an exhibition against Lincoln University on Oct. 19.