Stephen A's Take: Cooper Flagg is the best American Born White basketball player since Larry Bird.

Stephen A. Smith is a New York Times Bestselling Author, Executive Producer, host of ESPN's First Take, and co-host of NBA Countdown.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
Let's get to the NCAA twent to me real quick, please,
as the final four will be set after this weekend.
Here's the latest bracket after the first two rounds in
the first day of the Sweet sixteen. The top seeds
of Duke, Houston, Alabama, and Auburn are all still alive
heading into today's action. But I want to focus on
Duke's Cooper Flag, who put up thirty as in thirty points,

(00:23):
six rebounds, seven and sixt three blocks to lead the
Blue Devils past Arizona last night in the Sweet sixteen.
Ladies and gentlemen, this brother, Cooper Flag is the real deal.
He's a real deal, the legit six' eight with a
j with a, handle with passing, ability with, poise plays
on both, ends plays defense and, offense can, hit goes

(00:45):
to the free throw. LINE i, mean this brother is
something special and he's probably gonna Win National player of
The year the Way duke is looking right, now even
THOUGH i was Thinking, FLORIDA i Think Cooper flag might
win the national title if he does. That even if
he doesn't do, THAT i think he'll be the number
one overall pick in THE nba. DRAFT i think people

(01:09):
are salivating. It, Listen i'm trying to figure this, out
And i'll let my producers get in my ear if
they Think i'm making a horrible comparison, Here i'm thinking box.
OFFICE i think this is the greatest white prospect Since Larry.
BIRD i think this is the greatest White american prospect

(01:34):
Since Larry. BIRD a matter of, fact in an odd,
way he might end up. BEING i, mean this kid's
got superstar written all over him because he's got a,
game but his the meaning fits the. Bill he doesn't back.
Down he's rough and, tumble but it's classy in the same.

(01:55):
Breath can go to his left or his, right can
pull up mid, range long, range finish at the. Basket
he's got all the. Tools but you know what else
he has That Larry bird. Doesn't i'm not saying you
can shoot Like. Larbrary Larry bird is a different. Animal
but who knows this? Brother his, name ladies and, gentlemen
they're already marketing. Him and you see the flag behind,

(02:17):
him or you see him superposed within the bag and
within his name Is cooper. Flag you put The american
flag Behind oh my, GOD i, mean do you have
do you have any. Idea how marketable that? Is squeaky clean,
brother that's a superstar that happens to be, white and

(02:37):
his last name Is. Flag, nobody nobody In america needs
needs to even try to compete with him in. Endorsement,
DearS oh my, Lord oh my, goodness it's it's Crazy Cooper.
Flag and he got the game to back it, up
The Brother. Special but let me tell you what the
interesting part about him. Is we had this cause discussion

(03:00):
this morning On First take where we were talking about
a mount rushmore Of Duke university players Because duke obviously
has had, many many many players throughout the. Years, okay
and we get that. PART i don't think you can
Touch Christian. Latner just too, successful A, duke just too, Successful,

(03:21):
okay the living of the national, tiitle the whole, BIT
a couple of, them, actually, Right Grant hill has to
be number. One And i'm gonna tell you why that
is Because Grant hill was the one that enabled The
blue The Duke Blue devils to BEAT u n L.

(03:44):
V y'all remember the NINETIES, unlv the Running, Rebels Stacey,
Augman Larry, Johnson Anderson, Hunt Greg. ANTHONY i, mean my,
lord these, brothers. Okay And i'm telling you right, now

(04:06):
WHEN i think About duke AND i think About Grant,
hill this is What i'm thinking about right, here Because
i'm thinking about the fact that they had gotten annihilated
by about thirty THE unlv in The National championship game
the year before this next go, round same team going

(04:29):
up against the Same duke team outside Of Grant, hill
And Grant hill is the reason they were able to
BEAT unlv that next. Year So Grant hill is number.
One Grant hills didn't number One Christian. Latner And i'm

(04:53):
gonna put my Man Jay williams FROM, espn who is
A National player of The year and won A national champion.
Ship i'm gonna put my Man Jay williams up there
on That mount rushmore of Great duke, players and fourth
is going to Be Cooper. Flag that's HOW i gotta

(05:16):
look at, it. Y'all i'm just trying to look at
it right. Now i'm just saying to, myself my, Goodness
i'm trying to look up these numbers BECAUSE i want
to make sure That i'm, right you. Know But i'm
telling you right, Now i'm just looking at it right,
here right, now let's go through the. List we're. Here
they had never won a national championship in the program's
history until nineteen ninety ninety. One ninety one ninety two they,

(05:44):
won but if you, remember they lost in the national
championship game TO unlv ONE o three seventy, three and
then the very next year in nineteen ninety ninety, one
is when they won their first national, Title Grand, Hill
christian laytonon top Two Jay. Williams in two thousand and

(06:06):
two thousand and, one, Okay Jay, williams they Beat. Arizona,
okay they were thirty five and four that. Year Shane
battier was on that. Team Jay williams only had sixteen that.
Game Mike dunleavy had twenty. One he led them in.
Scoring Shane battier had, Eighteen. Okay Richard jefferson was on
The arizona squad With Gilbert. Arenas Gilbert arenas had ten that.

(06:28):
Game Richard jefferson had. Nineteen Lauren woods had twenty. Two
but they lost that game eighty two seventy two to The,
Duke Jay williams and Now Cooper. Flag they Got booze
and other. GUYS i know That Bobby. Hurley can't forget
all of these. Guys they had a lot of great,
teams no. DOUBT Jj reddick was, fantastic one of the great.

(06:52):
Shooters never won a national championship with one of the
great shooters In duke's, history no. Doubt BUT i gotta
go With Cooper. Flag Cooper, flag he's. On i'm telling
he won a National championsh's gotta win a national, championship
got to win a national, Championship National player of The.
Year that brother's one of the top four players in
the history of The duke. Program