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“I basically started as PG early on” - LeBron James sees similarities with Cooper Flagg as a rookie
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- “I basically started as PG early on” - LeBron James sees similarities with Cooper Flagg as a rookie
The recent matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks featured the league's oldest player at one end and the youngest on the other. A reference to a 41-year-old LeBron James visiting the American Airlines Center to take on the 19-year-old Cooper Flagg .
The Lakers were playing with a depleted roster, especially with their Top 2 scorers, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves , ruled out for the remainder of the 2025-26 season due to injuries. However, the King James and Co. still had a chance to get the W.
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This was primarily due to the Mavs' 14-game home losing streak, their longest in 32 years. Nonetheless, Flagg made sure to take care of business on Sunday night, dropping a highly efficient 45 points along with eight rebounds, nine assists and two steals in the win against the Lakers.
Addressing the media post-game, James was asked whether he had observed any rookie similarities between himself and Flagg.
"I love what he's doing. I love what he's bringing to this franchise. He looks like he loves the game. He's putting in the work. J-Kidd got a little scrutinized early on because they started him at PG at times. I thought that was unfair. I think it's great to put the ball in somebody's hands so they can just go through the rough patches. When you go through the rough patches, it allows you to grow at a rate faster than other players," said James.
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The young floor general
Elaborating on the rookie comparisons between him and Flagg, James highlighted how his first-ever NBA coach, Paul Silas, made him play point guard to start with as well.
"That's what Paul Silas, rest his soul, did for me. My rookie year, I basically started at PG early on. He allowed me to mistakes and read tough defenses … So, I see similarities in that on the basketball floor. Off the court, it's a little different," he added.
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Making his highly anticipated NBA debut in 2003, an 18-year-old James wasted no time when it came to the league taking notice of him. Apart from being a physical specimen, what also stood out about the Kid from Akron was his basketball IQ, as Silas once told the Boston Globe.
"I didn't have a point guard. So I made him my point forward … I couldn't believe it. He wasn't only 19 years old at the time, but he understood everything about this game. Eventually, I knew he was going to be a great player," stated the former Cavs coach in 2015.
Finding himself in a similar situation with Coach J-Kidd, Flagg recently shared his thoughts on what it was like to go up against one of the greats in James.
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Giving the King his flowers
Getting an opportunity to share the court with LeBron, Cooper couldn't have been more grateful. The Mavericks rookie had nothing but praise for the NBA's all-time leading scorer. Describing his experience at the post-game press meet, Flagg called it "A dream come true."
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At the same time, when it comes to following the footsteps of Bron, Coop is indeed on the right track. At 19 years and 103 days old, the Duke product became the first teenager in NBA history to score 50 points or more in a game.
Though he may not have the same start to his rookie year as James, Flagg has caught up and is most likely to win the Rookie of the Year. Nevertheless, he still needs some veteran guidance on winning games, something Kyrie Irving , who is currently recovering from an ACL injury, could provide next season. Thus, one could say that the future looks bright for Coop.
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This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Apr 6, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
