Kendrick Perkins drew attention online after comparing Dallas Mavericks rookie and No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and NBA legend LeBron James.
During an ESPN segment on October 14, Perkins said, “You damn right. … [Cooper Flagg] is the white version of LeBron James. When you talk about his IQ for the game, he has that.”
Kendrick Perkins Praises Cooper Flagg
The former Celtics-NBA-Champion-turned-broadcaster’s explosive commentary came after the NBA Today crew highlighted Flagg’s play for the Dallas Mavericks against the Utah Jazz on October 13. Flagg primarily handled the ball as a point-forward, and had a solid outing. He scored 11 points, added seven rebounds, an assist, two steals, two blocks and zero turnovers in 21 minutes.
While the assist total wasn’t demanding of praise, Flagg’s ability to handle the ball and not turn it over had Perkins hyped. The prospect of Flagg having major responsibility thrust upon his shoulders on a talented team is certainly one that could link him to James.
Social Media Reacts to Perkins’ Comments
Perkins’ comments instantly circulated across social media, with clips of the quote stirring fans with excitement, criticism and general shock.
Many fans on X (formerly Twitter) debated the remark, with some calling it a massive compliment and others suggesting it was premature to link any player to LeBron James. Others suggested it was another in a long line of hot takes spewed by Perkins. Major outlets and social media pages picked up on the news immediately.
This isn’t the first time Perkins has gone viral for his comments about Flagg.
During ESPN’s June 24 coverage of the 2025 NBA Draft, Perkins lit social media on fire comparing Flagg as offspring from a hypothetical baby produced by LeBron James and Kevin Garnett’s talents.
“This is how I look at Cooper Flagg: If LeBron James and Kevin Garnett had a baby, you get Cooper Flagg,” Perkins said.” And you talked about his passion, his tenacity. I’m watching KG all over again, the way that he plays at a high level.”
“Why I say that is because when you think about LeBron James, you think of a complete basketball player, right?” Perkins continued, unfazed by his co-hosts’ laughter. “Jay [Bilas], you just ran off the stats. He led the team in everything. That’s a LeBron James-type thing.”
Can Flagg Be The Next LeBron James?
Flagg has had some quality moments this preseason, but so far nothing that 100% signals he’ll be in the same class as LeBron James. Flagg is averaging 10.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals and one block per game in his three preseason games so far. He has certainly taken care of the ball, too, averaging just 1.7 turnovers in his 19.7 minutes per game.
Flagg entered the NBA drawing plenty of national praise and lofty projections thanks to his standout season at Duke. Flagg led his team in most statistical categories, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks per game, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 39% from deep. He led Duke to the Final Four, where the Blue Devils eventually fell 70-67 to Houston. For his single standout season at Duke, he was named the AP National College Player of the Year, becoming only the fourth ever freshman to do so, per the AP, and a consensus first-team All-American, among a slew of other awards.
For Flagg to reach James’ level, he’ll have his work cut out for him. James became the Rookie of the Year and finished ninth in MVP voting, averaging 20.9 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. As a 19-year-old rookie, he and the Cleveland Cavaliers posted a 35-47 record.
Flagg will be flanked by a much higher quality of talent than what James had in 2003, but that doesn’t necessarily guarantee statistical production. Flagg will have All-NBA and NBA champions in Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, and pieces of a roster that made the NBA Finals in 2024.
With the hype at a boiling point, Mavericks fans will be eager to see Flagg competing in actual regular-season games soon.
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