The 2025 NBA Draft began just as we all thought it would when the Dallas Mavericks selected former Duke forward Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick. Flagg established himself as one of the NCAA's all-time stat-sheet stuffers in just one season. He led the Blue Devils with 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game last year.

Flagg does appear to be a "generational prospect." He became the second-youngest No. 1 overall pick in the modern draft era, just behind LeBron James, and he was the fourth freshman to win National Player of the Year, joining Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis and Zion Williamson. He's expected to make an immediate impact in Dallas alongside Kyrie Irving and Davis.

During a post-draft interview with Scott Van Pelt, Flagg was asked which NBA star he's excited to face at the next level -- someone who he looked up to that would now be an opponent. Flagg responded with Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum, saying he was a player that he watched a lot at Duke.

Unfortunately, Tatum is expected to miss Flagg's entire rookie season after the Celtics star tore his Achilles in the Eastern Conference semifinals. But Flagg choosing a fellow Duke star that is already a six-time All-Star and NBA champion is an understandable answer.

Former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski has said that Flagg and Tatum share similar skillsets, except the 18-year-old is still growing! 

"They're both 6-foot-8. Actually, I think Cooper grew about an inch here. You know, he's still only 18 years old, so he's still growing. He might end up being 6-foot-10," Krzyzewski said during an appearance with Colin Cowherd. "Jayson, I think offensively, Jayson, you know, Jayson really has developed into a great shooter. Jayson, he's really developed differently than I think Cooper will develop."