Cooper Flagg was faced with a challenge the first day on the job by head coach Jason Kidd. In his first game, he proved he was up for the challenge.

"It took a couple months to really understand, process, feel it, live it — and feel the pain," the coach said of Duke's Final Four loss.

When the Los Angeles Lakers played against the Dallas Mavericks during NBA 2K26 Summer League in Las Vegas, fans all wanted to see the same thing.

Duke star Cooper Flagg declared for the 2025 NBA Draft in video posted to his social media on Monday. Flagg is headed to the pros after just one year of college basketball.

DURHAM, N.C. — It’s 45 minutes after a January blowout at Cameron Indoor Stadium when Cooper Flagg comes walking into the gameday hospitality area for Duke basketball players’ families.

Cooper Flagg injury update Cooper sustained a left ankle injury in the final minutes of the first half of Duke's ACC quarterfinal win against Georgia Tech on Thursday, March 13.

Cooper Flagg, Duke's star and presumptive No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, is set to play in the first round of the NCAA Tournament after dealing with an ankle injury.

Hill got a close look at Flagg's competitive edge last summer when USA Basketball invited the then-high school phenom to practice with the Select Team ahead of the Paris Olympics. As managing director of the program, Hill watched Flagg hold his own against NBA players -- a rare opportunity for a teenager.