Cooper Flagg is in the exact place like many before him. He’s looked at as the savior for the Dallas Mavericks and a basketball behemoth in the making. However, only a few have been unfazed by such lofty expectations. You think about the legends. Allen Iverson, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, and more. The Akron Hammer, particularly, has seen the brightest line shine on him years before he stepped into the NBA.

Now, at the relatively same age, Flagg is picking up the burden. James, aware of what follows, doesn’t want the Duke sensation to be overwhelmed by the expectations. “It takes time and the expectation to wanting to put an 18-year-old, 19-year-old kid in a position where he’s like, he needs to be great right away. I think it’s unfair,”. However, James is high on the kind of player Flagg is.

So while those expectations do carry weight, the four-time MVP is assured that the touted top pick will channel them in the right direction. “It’s also something that I think we can, as kids like myself and Cooper can use as motivation as well. And I personally think that he wants to be great. He had a hell of a year at Duke,” James added.

But greater than Cooper Flagg’s mentality is the environment that he will experience. LeBron James thinks about the story of Kawhi Leonard. He didn’t have nearly the buzz like Flagg. But under the mentorship of Coach Pop and other Spurs legends, he was ushered into one of the Top 75 players in league history.

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In Flagg’s case, the Lakers forward trusts the management and personnel in Dallas to have a positive impact on the incoming rookie.

“And also, he has the benefit, unlike myself, he gets to join a team that’s established. With Hall of Fame guys, Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, right off the bat, Hall of Fame coach Jason Kidd. You know, these guys are like, they can give him the whole blueprint while he continues to learn what his blueprint will be. And I think that’s going to be an incredible thing for him to have that type of presence,” he said on Mind the Game.

Those veterans can help shape his NBA mentality. But in Flagg’s mind, he has been preparing for this moment for years.

Cooper Flagg’s monstrous mentality

There are very few prospects coming into the NBA who get the nod from LeBron James. There are fewer who actually get to experience the degree of competition before making it to the league. Flagg’s game is beyond his age. While at the Team USA scrimmage, he lined up against the ‘Avengers’. Still, watchers would notice the 18-year-old deliver.

That was probably the moment everybody was confident in Cooper Flagg’s abilities. This isn’t just a really good player. This is a guy who doesn’t rest and keeps on working to improve his game.

“His mentality on a daily basis — for a 17-year-old — is something I haven’t really seen before,” his former Duke teammate Tyrese Proctor said about him during his time at the college. Even take his simple meeting with the Mavericks’ top brass and players.

Flagg went there to get himself acquainted with the surroundings. However, he ‘insisted’ on doing an hour-long workout in front of everybody. Nick Angstadt of the Locked on Mavericks noted how Flagg always “goes the extra mile” to prove himself. So even with all the frantic noise around his name, Cooper Flagg wants to earn and honor the expectations.

With him, the concern about falling prey to the media’s pressure is irrelevant. He doesn’t focus on it. Flagg calmly looks to develop into a top player, and nothing seems to be a hindrance for him. Among managing the expectations, that is one of the key qualities. So he doesn’t just have outside help to keep him grounded. Flagg is molded that way, and his only mission is to play his best basketball.