Cooper Flagg: the 17-year-old ‘cold-ass white boy’ breaking the basketball discourse

Thought Caitlin Clark was a funhouse mirror for the zeitgeist? Meet Cooper Flagg, the Duke star tapped to be the first white American in 48 years to go No 1 in the NBA draft

Five months ago USA Basketball convened an inter-squad scrimmage in Las Vegas before the Paris Olympics, and the standout player was a gawky teenager from Maine.

On that heady July day, Cooper Flagg showed flashes of his sky-high potential, out-jumping Bam Adebayo for a put-back layup, spinning off Jrue Holiday for a baseline jumper and burying a corner three over an outstretched Anthony Davis to key a near upset of Team USA's Monstars." One NBA head coach in attendance called Flagg the 13th-best player in the gym (behind Indiana Pacers leading man Tyrese Halliburton and Boston Celtics point guard Derrick White, ostensibly), while Kevin Durant endorsed Flagg's on court sangfroid as a good sign." As the clips of Flagg's workout circulated online, hoops fans couldn't help speculating about the further damage the 6ft 9in teen terror might do in college basketball.