Cooper Flagg Gets Kyrie Irving Boost, Meets Larry Bird

Cooper Flagg arrived in the NBA with high expectations and leaned on a pair of legends during his rookie year. Kyrie Irving offered steady mentorship — Flagg said, "He stepped in as a great vet for me" and told him "I'm doing everything I need to be doing and just to stay with it and stay positive." Flagg also met Larry Bird, who stressed "Never giving up" and "playing hard on every single possession." The mentorship has helped Flagg deliver 20.2 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Merlin sees a young talent learning the craft of resilience. Veteran voices calm the shakes of a long losing stretch and turn flashes into habits. With that foundation, Flagg’s growth curve looks less like luck and more like careful work guided by the right teachers.