Mavericks' Cooper Flagg Names NBA, WNBA Mount Rushmores

Cooper Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks' first overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has publicly shared his NBA and WNBA Mount Rushmores, highlighting a blend of legendary and contemporary players who inspire him. For the NBA, Flagg named Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Larry Bird, the latter reflecting his Celtics-rooted background and admiration for the 1985-86 Celtics team. His choices, especially Bird and Bryant, sparked debate given the presence of other all-time greats like Tim Duncan and Magic Johnson. On the WNBA side, Flagg expressed strong admiration for A’ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces, praising her dominant play and record-breaking scoring milestone, as well as Caitlin Clark, who he views as transformative for women's basketball. Wilson recently became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 5,000 points and is on a trajectory to potentially surpass Diana Taurasi’s all-time scoring record. Flagg’s engagement with both leagues highlights his respect for basketball’s history and evolution as he prepares to start his promising professional career.