People have used countless adjectives to describe 18-year-old phenom Cooper Flagg, the man who will officially be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. ESPN continues to pour out heaping piles of praise ahead of the festivities, marveling at his immense potential and incredibly versatile skill set. Analyst Kendrick Perkins offered his own unique form of flattery, which is bound to leave a strong impression on viewers.

“If LeBron James and Kevin Garnett had a baby, you'd get Cooper Flagg,” the 2008 NBA champion said on a pre-draft special, via ClutchPoints. When one moves past the idea of a hypothetical James-Garnett union, which is especially hard to fathom given their fierce on-court rivalry, they will realize how bold Perkins' statement is.

Can Cooper Flagg meet expectations once more?

Flagg is a complete prospect who is generating enormous levels of buzz, and putting him in the same sentence as two Hall of Famers, one of whom is an all-time great, only drives that point home. But is the public raising the bar too high and setting up the Wooden Award winner for an unbearable amount of pressure?

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That question cannot be answered now, obviously, but this all-round talent has splendidly handled all the outside noise so far. Cooper Flagg was anointed a prodigy well before he even played his first game in Cameron Indoor Stadium, and with his outstanding instincts and undying competitive fire, he performed as brilliantly as advertised.

Flagg tallied 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks while shooting 48.1 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from 3-point land. He played 11 games for the Blue Devils before celebrating his 18th birthday in December and led the program to the Final Four of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Duke's campaign ended catastrophically at the hands of Houston, and Flagg missed the potential game-winner, but the hoops-watching world still witnessed a historic season.

The fantastic forward boasts exceptional passing skills for someone with a 6-foot-9 frame and brings welcome aggression on both ends of the floor. Sound familiar? It is important to note that Kendrick Perkins is not outright comparing Flagg to LeBron James or Kevin Garnett. He is alluding to the similar traits the Newport, Maine native possesses. The onus is now on him to carve out his own path to superstardom.

Although the NBA is a different beast, Flagg will join the Dallas Mavericks as an extremely motivated rookie. Regardless of what happens, it should be quite compelling to see him take on this next challenge.