Sports Poets Society

Cooper Flagg au dunk contre les Charlotte Hornets  lors d’un match de pré-saison, le 11 octobre à Dallas. Requinquée par l’arrivée du phénomène de Dallas Cooper Flagg au coeur d’un Texas devenu l’épicentre des débats, la NBA imagine redonner sous peu un accent très américain à son basket. 21 Oct 2025 - L'Équipe AMAURY PERDRIAU La NBA virerait-elle nombriliste? Alors qu’elle est devenue en presque cinq décennies – des années 1980 à aujourd’hui – un modèle d’ouverture au monde, un dangereux tournant la menace. Étonnant pour une Ligue qui depuis la première investiture de Donald Trump (2017) ne manquait pas une occasion de le bâcher. Seraitelle soudainement devenue gaga de son « MAGA » ( Make America  Great Again, « rendre sa grandeur à l’Amérique »), précepte dérivé de la « Doctrine Monroe » (du nomdu cinquième président américain) qui, en décembre 1823, revendiquait « l’Amérique aux Américains » face à une Europe éprise de colonialisme? Le trait est grossi, mais la vérité n’est...

That was the goal of every NBA team, The former Duke star andpresumptiveTOP DRAFTPICKhas an uncanny skill set that hoops IQ and a preternatural calm “I love being the underdog,” Flagg says. “Always have. It gives you a little EXTRA FUEL , extra motivation every game. You get a spark. It’s a great feeling.” by CHRIS MANNIX photograph by CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE Sports Illustrated - July 2025 THE SCENE FELT FUNEREAL In April, minutes after Duke’s collapse in the NCAA semifinal againstHouston, a contingent of Blue Devils motored down a back hall of the Alamodome on a golf cart. Coach Jon Scheyer, flanked by freshman wing Kon Knueppel, was stuffed in the middle row. As the cart hummed down the quiet hallway, Cooper Flagg appeared on the back, still in his sweat-soaked uniform, staring vacantly in the direction he came. The images, captured by dozens of cameraphones, quickly went viral. Flagg can’t recall what he was thinking in that moment. Just that, whatever it was, he didn’t want anyone to ...

That was the goal of every NBA team, and with good reason. The former Duke star and presumptive has an uncanny skill set that combine athleticism, hoops IQ and a preternatural calm TOP DRAFT PICK JULY 2025 • SI .COM • 25 photograph by CLAY PATRICK MCBRIDE txt by CHRIS MANNIX In April, minutes after Duke’s collapse in the NCAA semifinal against Houston, a contingent of Blue Devils motored down a back hall of the Alamodome on a golf cart. Coach Jon Scheyer, flanked by freshman wing Kon Knueppel, was stuffed in the middle row. As the cart hummed down the quiet hallway, Cooper Flagg appeared on the back, still in his sweat-soaked uniform, staring vacantly in the direction he came. The images, captured by dozens of camera phones, quickly went viral. Flagg can’t recall what he was thinking in that moment. Just that, whatever it was, he didn’t want anyone to know it. “It was an incredible season,” Flagg later told reporters. “Didn’t end the way we wanted to.” Weeks later Flagg still struggles...

TERRANCE WILLIAMS/ASSOCIATED PRESS - Dylan Harper, a guard out of Rutgers,  is a  strong candidate to go to San Antonio at No. 2 in the NBA draft — if the Spurs keep the selection. Ben Golliver mocks the lottery selections, including the Wizards’ pick at No. 6. How the lottery picks unfold after No. 1 is anyone’s guess 25 Jun 2025 The Washington Post BY BEN GOLLIVER NEW YORK — Let’s count the ways this year’s NBA draft will be defined by unexpected twists and turns. One: Cooper Flagg , the consensus favorite to be the No. 1 pick, is only draft-eligible because he opted to graduate high school in three seasons. The 18-year-old do-everything forward, who led Duke to the Final Four this spring as a freshman, is on track to become the youngest top pick since Lebron James in 2003. Two: The Dallas Mavericks earned the right to select Flagg even though they were slotted 11th in the draft lottery order and had just a 1.8 percent chance to receive the top pick. Instead of spending the ...

14 May 2025 Der Tagesspiegel Wahrscheinlich saß Nico Harrison in einem dunklen Ledersessel und streichelte eine weiße Katze wie Ernst Stavro Blofeld in James Bond. Oder er legte seine zehn Finger vor dem Gesicht aufeinander und murmelte „ausgezeichnet“wie Montgomery Burns bei den Simpsons. Der Manager der Dallas Mavericks wird die Draft-Lottery, bei der entschieden wird, in welcher Reihenfolge die Teams sich die besten Talente aussuchen, im Stile eines Superbösewichts verfolgt haben. Die Texaner hatten eine 1,8-prozentige Chance, den ersten Pick zu erhalten und damit College-Star Cooper Flagg unter Vertrag nehmen zu können – und sackten den Jackpot ein. Spötter werden sagen, es handelte sich um pures Glück, verkennen dabei aber Harrisons genialen Masterplan. Der Manager schickte Anfang Februar den damals 25 Jahre alten Superstar Luka Dončić zu den Los Angeles Lakers und erhielt im Gegenzug Anthony Davis, fast 32 Jahre alt und enorm verletzungsanfällig. Harrison geriet massiv in die Kri...

Men’s Final Four, San Antonio: 1 Florida vs. 1 Auburn 1 Houston vs. 1 Duke Today, 6:09 and 8:49 p.m., CBS 5 Apr 2025 - The Washington Post BY BEN GOLLIVER AND ARTUR GALOCHA When Cooper Flagg committed to Duke in 2023, his family understood that he might become — in the words of his mother, Kelly — the “greatest, hated White Duke villain.” Now that the 18-year-old Flagg has solidified his standing as the consensus No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA draft by leading the Blue Devils (35-3) to the Final Four in San Antonio this weekend, he could soon depart the college game with another title: Duke’s best NBA prospect ever. There’s a lot of competition for that moniker given Duke’s track record of cranking out top talent. A whopping 50 Duke players have been first-round draft picks in the past 40 years. Of those, 24 have been top-10 picks, 15 have been top-three picks, and four — Elton Brand, Kyrie Irving, Zion Williamson and Paolo Banchero — have been taken No. 1 overall.  Flagg’s top riv...