Auburn legend Charles Barkley lauds Cooper Flagg's unselfish play by apt comparison with NBA superstar

Charles Barkley had high praise for Cooper Flagg while appearing on "The Jim Rome Show" on Tuesday. Even though the Duke forward is one of the most talented scorers in college basketball, Barkley highlighted his team-first approach.

The NBA legend recalled the time he probed legendary San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich about Kawhi Leonard's rise. Barkley also highlighted various aspects of Flagg that make him an elite player.

"Cooper Flagg, he is the best player," Barkley said. "Gregg Popovich, who is one of the best ever — I was doing an NBA game probably 10, 12 years ago, it was a long time ago and I said, 'When did Kawhi Leonard become a great player?' He says, 'When he realized when I call a playofor him, it's for the Spurs to play, not just him.'

"And most players don't know that. Most players think when a coach calls their play, they go to shoot the damn ball, Jim. When they called Cooper Flagg's play the other night, he got my man four dunks and two layups and it was beautiful to watch."

Flagg can score in different ways: from the 3-point line, post-ups, fadeaways or attacking the basket. However, he takes pride in getting his teammates going. It is a trait that was constantly seen since his high-profile high school and AAU matchups, which has translated to the collegiate level.

In each of his three highest-scoring outings — 42 points versus Notre Dame, 28 against Wake Forest and 30 over Arizona — Flagg recorded seven assists.

What is next for Cooper Flagg and the Duke Blue Devils?

The No. 1-seeded Duke Blue Devils defeated the No. 2-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide 85-65 in the Elite Eight on Saturday and will face the No. 1-seeded Houston Cougars in the Final Four on Saturday. It is the school's deepest NCAA tournament run under Jon Scheyer.

Duke is spearheaded by freshman star Cooper Flagg, who leads the program in every major statistical category except blocks. He is averaging 18.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks.

Flagg, who played for the Select Team last offseason, is projected to be the top pick in the 2025 NBA draft.