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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - MARCH 31: Cooper Flagg #32 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks during the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 31, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images Cooper Flagg, along with his Duke roommate Kon Knueppel, is generally seen as the leading candidates for NBA Rookie of the Year. It’s been a tremendous year for both former Blue Devils.
In this interview with Pat McAfee, Flagg discusses his rookie season to date. He touches on something that Kevin Garnett discovered in his rookie season that was a bit of a surprise for him and for a lot of underage rookies: the NBA is a lonely place.
Garnett talked about sitting alone in his hotel room; Flagg talks about his teammates being grown men with wives and children.
What he doesn’t mention is the hard-living nature of many NBA players: bars, strip clubs, predatory women who zoom in on more naive players.
It’s not an easy life for a mature player, so it can’t be easy for a 19-year-old either.
In the description, one of the interviewers on McAfee’s show asks Flagg what his Welcome-To-The-NBA moment was. Flagg says it came in practice when he tried to dunk on teammate PJ Washington, who, at 27, is a good bit older and more physically mature. That, Flagg says, “…just did not go very well.”
One wonders what it will be like in a few years when Flagg is bigger and stronger.
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