NBA – Cooper Flagg on Wembanyama’s trail? “Just like with Victor, we’re super bullish”

Par Pierre-Andréa Fraile | Journaliste sportif

Two years after Victor Wembanyama’s arrival in the NBA, a new prospect is about to land surrounded by immense expectations, namely Cooper Flagg. And according to a big name working with the Frenchman, the future 1st pick is destined for a similar future.

Unlike last year, the suspense surrounding the future No.1 draft pick has been reduced to a minimum. Barring an unlikely turn of events, Cooper Flagg will join the Mavericks as the first pick on June 25. In fact, the franchise has no plans to organize any workouts other than his, which is proof of the esteem in which it holds him. And with good reason, since he appears to have immense potential in the eyes of many experts.

Cooper Flagg again compared to Victor Wembanyama in the USA

A true superstar on the NCAA circuit in recent months, Flagg has justified all the hype that surrounded him when he left high school. All that remains now is for him to do the same in the NBA and convince those observers still skeptical of his profile. Michael Rubin, on the other hand, does not belong to this fringe and has high hopes for the young American winger. A recent guest at Gil’s Arena, the CEO of Fanatics said:

Michael Rubin: We’re really thinking big for Cooper. We really believe in him. We’ve been expecting him to go first in the draft for a long time, and nothing has changed since then. At Fanatics, we’re lucky enough to work with the best athletes in the world. 5,000 of them are under contract with us, we invest a lot in them, and Cooper is as special as any.

Under the spell of the top prospect, Rubin backed up his words by comparing his case with that of a certain… Victor Wembanyama:

Michael Rubin: I remember the moment I flew to France to sign Victor Wembanyama. Fast forward to today, and Victor has become everything you’d expect, and even more.

And as with Victor, we’re super bullish about Cooper’s future. We think he’s a special person with whom we can build something great (…) We think he’s going to be a huge star in the NBA and we’re investing in him accordingly. We’re going to make sure he plays a big part at Fanatics and in everything we do. We’re honored to be working with him.

Already sold as an exceptional talent in the U.S., Flagg didn’t need this testimonial to increase the pressure on his shoulders. In any case, he’ll have to deal with it when he arrives in the league, and try to follow a brilliant trajectory worthy of Wembanyama. Given the Frenchman’s achievements to date in the league, it promises to be an extremely challenging mission.