The outspoken NBA champion believes the Mavericks’ top pick mirrors LeBron James in IQ and creativity.

Kendrick Perkins didn’t hold back when assessing Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s potential.

During an ESPN segment analyzing preseason play, the former NBA champion declared that Flagg reminded him of a young LeBron James — even calling him the “white version” of the four-time MVP.

“You damn right. I said it on draft night,” Perkins said. “He [Cooper Flagg] is the white version of LeBron James. When you talk about his IQ for the game, he has that.”

NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) on X "You damn right. ... [Cooper Flagg] is the white version of LeBron James. When you talk about his IQ for the game, he has that." @KendrickPerkins shares his thoughts on Cooper Flagg running point guard for the Mavericks 👀

Perkins, who won a championship with the 2008 Boston Celtics, has been among Flagg’s most vocal supporters since the NBA Draft. He expanded on his reasoning, explaining that while Flagg may not possess LeBron’s elite athleticism, his feel for the game, decision-making, and pace set him apart from typical 18-year-olds entering the league.

Perkins noted that Flagg’s creativity and ability to anticipate defensive rotations resemble James’ rookie tendencies.

“He’s not as explosive,” Perkins said, “but he’s more fluid, more deliberate — and that can make him just as dangerous in his own way.”

Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, has quickly been thrust into a unique role under head coach Jason Kidd. The Mavericks have experimented with using the 6-foot-9 forward as a point initiator during preseason play — a nod to his versatility and high basketball IQ.

Kidd has previously praised Flagg for being “comfortable reading coverages” and “thinking two plays ahead.”

The Maine native has shown flashes of two-way brilliance in limited minutes. In Monday night’s 114–101 win over the Utah Jazz, Flagg posted 11 points on 3-of-13 shooting, adding seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks in 21 minutes. His lone assist underscored the ongoing adjustment to NBA pace and spacing, but his defensive instincts and energy continued to impress the Mavericks’ staff.

Flagg’s college résumé at Duke made the LeBron comparisons inevitable. He averaged 17.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game as a freshman, showing the all-around toolkit that made him the consensus No. 1 prospect in his class.

Reactions to Perkins’ bold statement have been split. Some analysts applauded the comparison, agreeing that Flagg’s intelligence and maturity resemble James’ early years in Cleveland. Others cautioned that physical and athletic differences make the parallel premature.

Still, for a teenager yet to play a regular-season NBA game, being mentioned in the same breath as LeBron James — even with qualifiers — underscores the immense expectations surrounding Flagg’s debut season in Dallas.

Whether he becomes the next great point forward or simply a high-impact two-way player, one thing is certain: Cooper Flagg has already captured the imagination of the basketball world.