‘This Is (Cooper) Flagg’s Destiny’ – ESPN’s Brian Windhorst Predicts Mavericks Phenom Will Follow in LeBron James’ Footsteps to Fulfill ‘Prophecy’

Mohamed Rizvi Wed, September 23, 2026 at 8:07 PM UTC

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'This Is (Cooper) Flagg's Destiny' - ESPN's Brian Windhorst Predicts Mavericks Phenom Will Follow in LeBron James' Footsteps to Fulfill 'Prophecy'

Brian Windhorst was one of the first NBA analysts to cover LeBron James since he exploded onto the scene as a youngster.

He has delivered some of the boldest takes over the years about players, but the ESPN analyst’s latest Cooper Flagg take will certainly make waves on social media.

Brian Windhorst Makes Bold Cooper Flagg Prediction

Contributing to ESPN’s annual NBA Rank feature, Windhorst weighed in on the league’s rising stars and singled out Flagg as a clear parallel to James.

“I don’t make predictions, but I will say that throughout all last season, Cooper Flagg kept giving me flashbacks to LeBron James as a rookie,” Windhorst said. “By LeBron’s second season, he was a top-five player, and I feel strongly that this is Flagg’s destiny too. We’ll just have to wait and see how fast that prophecy is fulfilled.”

The comparison is not new for Windhorst, who has built much of his career covering James’ rise. He has also repeatedly mentioned him when discussing Flagg throughout his debut season.

Flagg backed up that praise as his first season progressed. After an uneven start adjusting to point guard duties, he settled into his natural small forward position and closed the year with a torrid stretch that included back-to-back 51 and 45 point performances in April, ultimately winning Rookie of the Year.

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He became the first teenager in NBA history to record a 50-point game and posted a 50/40/90 shooting season on at least 20 shots per game, joining Stephen Curry and Larry Bird as the only players ever to do so.

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Flagg enters his second season ranked 23rd on ESPN’s latest NBA Rank list, a jump from 52nd a year ago, with Windhorst’s comments suggesting he expects that climb to continue. James, for reference, entered his second NBA season as a budding star and was a top-five player by its end, the exact bar Windhorst now believes Flagg is on track to clear.

The one clear area still separating the two, at least statistically, is outside shooting. Flagg shot just 29.5 percent from three-point range as a rookie, an area ESPN’s own analysis flagged as the last real obstacle standing between him and an All-Star selection.

The Mavericks phenom clearly has a long way to go, but we can’t deny that he’s on the right track. Living up to James’ legacy may be a tough feat, considering his longevity. But Flagg is undoubtedly a generational talent who can emerge as the face of the league in the coming years.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.

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Source: “AOL Sports”