Cooper Flagg is Mavericks-bound and LeBron James could not hid his reaction.
The basketball world was left stunned as the Dallas Mavericks emerged victorious in the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery, all but confirming that 18-year-old phenom Cooper Flagg will be suiting up in Texas next season.
But no reaction hit harder than that of LeBron James himself.
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Cooper Flagg is the no.1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft | Getty Images
The Los Angeles Lakers superstar took to X (formerly Twitter) and dropped a savage response to the lottery outcome: a post of eight straight laughing emojis, no words, just vibes.
And fans, predictably, went into complete meltdown in the comments.
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Find out all you need to know about Cooper Flagg Net Worth: Age, Salary, Profile, Girlfriend, Contract, How Rich is the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft?
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The Blue Devils reacted via social media after Cooper Flagg made a crucial announcement on his future.
LeBron’s savage reaction to Mavs securing Cooper Flagg
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LeBron James | IMAGO
While the emoji-laced post could be interpreted as banter, many NBA fans believe there’s more than humour behind the 40-year-old legend’s response.
After all, Flagg isn’t just any top pick, the former Duke star is being hailed as a generational talent.
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Cooper Flagg | Getty Images
Add him to a Mavericks roster already boasting Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, and the Western Conference suddenly feels even more like a war zone.
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Flagg is No. 1 in the 2025 NBA Draft | Credit: Imago
LeBron, who’s been outspoken in the past about his suspicions regarding the integrity of the NBA Draft process, seemed to reignite the “rigged” narrative—without even typing a single word.
Fans immediately linked his post to a previous interview where he hinted that the draft system was, in his words, “questionable.”
Lakers’ LeBron James. Credit: Imago
One fan commented under his post: “Makes sense why he went on McAfee…Bron def knew what was gonna happen with Mavericks getting #1 pick.”
Another fired back even harder: “Yes the draft is rigged but you should be the last person talking. The Cavs were gifted three No.1 picks, which helped you walk back into Cleveland with a stacked roster.”
Another user commented:
‘LeBron told us last month that the NBA draft was rigged and he was right!”
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The Cooper Flagg sweepstakes reaches its climax Monday, as NBA teams prepare to chase the most coveted No. 1 pick in years.
One other fan quipped:
“buddy they rigged your draft too”
With Flagg projected to be taken first overall on Draft day, the Mavericks now look terrifyingly complete.
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Cooper Flagg is expected to join Dallas Mavericks on the 2025 NBA Draft day | Imago
For James, who is in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career, it presents a brand-new problem in an already loaded West.
If Flagg had landed in Charlotte, Utah or Washington, LeBron might’ve cruised a bit longer. But Dallas? That’s a different beast entirely.
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The Jazz have been told to make a big decision on the NBA draft’s no. 1 pick.
