Cooper Flagg a more offensively polished version of Michael Jordan’s best co-star, says HOF coach George Karl 

Cooper Flagg has been one of the country's most popular college basketball players this season as he tries to lead the Duke Blue Devils to a national title. As his inevitable entry to the NBA grows closer and closer, both NBA experts and former players are heaping praise on the young star. One of the former coaches took it a step further and compared Flagg to one of the all-time greats.

In an X post on Friday, Karl had just one sentence describing what Flagg could develop into once he reaches the next level. He compared the rising star to Michael Jordan's partner, who was alongside him throughout the Chicago Bulls dynasty in the 1990s.

"Cooper Flagg's comp is a more offensively skilled Scottie Pippen," Karl said.

He complimented Cooper Flagg, who has set himself apart from other freshmen since the summer he practiced against Team USA. Karl comparing Cooper Flagg to a six-time NBA champion and a Hall of Famer shows that he has become a believer in the hype surrounding the Duke star.

Teams at the bottom of the standings have been tanking for months as they try to "capture the Flagg" at this summer's draft.

George Karl is among the all-time great coaches in NBA history, having had a 24-year coaching stint divided among four different NBA teams. Karl was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2022.

What will Cooper Flagg bring to the team that picks him?

Cooper Flagg has been called a generational prospect by many experts and will enter the league with a similar amount of fanfare as former Duke Blue Devils like Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero. However, Flagg might be more unique than all of them as he continues to show off his skills in college.

At 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds, Flagg has the speed and strength to guard all five positions while taking his team on his back on the offensive end. In his first, and likely only, year at Duke, Flagg accomplished something rare; he led his team in points, assists, rebounds, blocks and steals.

It's that level of two-way talent that led legendary coach George Karl to compare him to six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen.

While it remains to be seen how Flagg's game will transfer from college to the NBA, experts are optimistic that he will find success early and have a long, prosperous career. While Karl had a lofty comparison for Flagg, it will be up to him to try to match, or even surpass, what Pippen and other Hall of Famers have done before him.