Members of the media were not allowed to watch the entire game between the national team headed to the Paris Olympics, led by LeBron James and Stephen Curry, and the U.S. team, which is comprised mostly of young NBA players and Flagg, who will be a freshman at Duke this fall. Official statistics were not kept for the traditional varsity vs. junior varsity game, according to a USA Basketball official. And national team coach Steve Kerr declined to comment on Flagg’s stellar performance, citing NBA rules that prohibit public statements about players who are not yet eligible for the draft.
As soon as the gym doors opened to reporters, Flagg drew laughter and gasps as he took control of the scrum with an 11-point burst to lead a select team to a comeback. James, 39, who knows a basketball prodigy when he sees one, sought out Flagg to give him a congratulatory pat on the butt after the national team held on for a 74-73 victory.
Flagg, a 6-foot-10 forward who became the first college player to earn an invitation to a select team in more than a decade, showed why he is projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft. The polished wing started his scoring streak with a 3-pointer from the left corner over Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis and a turnaround over Boston Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday.
Then, with momentum building, a baby-faced Flagg brought the ball up the court, worked his way into an isolation against Davis and hit a sidestep three-pointer over arguably the best defender in the NBA. After the national team committed a turnover trying to find Davis in transition, Flagg took control of the ball and quickly pushed the ball forward to Sacramento Kings forward Keegan Murray, who missed a three-pointer from the left corner. Flagg sprinted the length of the court for the shot, jumped to grab the offensive rebound with both hands in traffic and finished a putback while being fouled by Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo.
The sequence — the shot, the pass, the rebound and the finish — instantly went viral on social media, racking up millions of views within an hour. In total, Flagg had scored six points in less than 20 seconds to set up a tense finish. Davis avoided an embarrassing loss for the overwhelming gold medal favorites by blocking a potential game-winning shot by Golden State Warriors point guard Brandin Podziemski at the buzzer.
Flagg’s performance was all the more remarkable given that he is five years younger than Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Anthony Edwards, who is the youngest player on the national team. When Flagg was born on Dec. 21, 2006, James was in his fourth NBA season and about to make his third All-Star appearance.
“I was just competing and doing my best,” Flagg said. “I gave 100 percent. I have confidence in my abilities and my skills. I have confidence in who I am and what I can do. It’s a surreal feeling to be able to share the field (with the national team). I’m blessed to have this opportunity to be here. I had no worries. I didn’t put any pressure on myself. I’m here for a reason. I know that.”
Flagg’s appeal as a prospect is due to his excellent motor, solid athleticism and innate basketball intelligence, as well as the versatile game he displayed Monday in front of a few hundred spectators. He’s an efficient ball-handler, a willing outside shooter, a physical rebounder, a finisher above the basket and a multi-positional defender who can handle assignments in the paint or on the perimeter – all rolled into one package.
If Flagg develops into a player capable of taking over the reins at USA Basketball, his gutsy performance at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, will be remembered as the moment he first proved he could hold his own against the world’s best.
“The team that was selected was great,” Kerr said, smiling as he deftly avoided commenting directly on Flagg. “They challenged us. They were physical. They did a lot of things that European teams do. It couldn’t have gone better.”
The only person who didn’t seem to get caught up in the excitement was Flagg, who chatted with two other Duke Blue Devils players — Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and USA Basketball general manager Grant Hill — before casually recounting the afternoon’s events. Although Flagg grew up a Celtics fan and shaped his offensive approach by studying Tatum, he said he felt comfortable playing against a USA Basketball team that featured 12 All-Stars and nearly as many future Hall of Famers.
“At first I was impressed when I walked into the gym and saw all these players, but not once we started playing,” he said. “Once the ball goes up, I’m just a competitor. It’s a little bit of an adjustment being on the court with them, but at the same time, I’m just playing basketball and trying to win. (The national team players) have all been pretty welcoming. They just tell me to keep working and keep my feet on the ground.”
Flagg, who reclassified as a senior last fall and went on to lead Montverde Academy (Fla.) to an undefeated season and a national title, said he is “working toward” a spot on USA Basketball’s roster for the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Qatar. By then, he would be 20 and likely have completed a freshman campaign at Duke and two NBA seasons.
In the meantime, Flagg expects the national team to win its fifth consecutive gold medal in Paris next month.
“They can be whatever team they want to be,” he said. “They have no weaknesses, no flaws. They can play any way they want and dominate. They’re going to be a dominant team that will assert their will on everyone they see.”