With the NCAA Tournament now down to its final eight teams, a highly anticipated Elite Eight matchup between No. 1 seed Duke and No. 2 seed Alabama is set, with a Final Four berth on the line. Both teams feature well-known talent, but no player has generated more buzz than Duke’s standout freshman, Cooper Flagg. Projected as the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA Draft, Flagg has the rare chance to lead his team to a national championship as a freshman. However, with that status comes enormous expectations.
Dan Patrick made a bold statement on The Dan Patrick Show, suggesting that if Flagg’s NBA career mirrored that of former UCLA star and NBA champion Kevin Love, it might be seen as a disappointment. “If you said his career was going to be like Kevin Love’s, would that be a disappointment? And it probably would be,” Patrick said. His remark sparked reactions across the basketball world, with many coming to Love’s defense and highlighting his accomplished career.
Love himself addressed the discussion, clarifying that he did not take Patrick’s comment as an insult. Instead, he praised Flagg’s talent and potential, acknowledging that the young star has a chance to achieve even greater success.
“For those who will take this as a shot at me… I don’t take it as such,” Love tweeted. “I was pure skill & will. Cooper is far more talented than I ever was, and if he stays healthy, will have a far better career. He could very well have a statue by the time he’s finished. I’m a HUGE fan.”
Despite the debate, Kevin Love’s career is undeniably a success. A five-time All-Star, he has maintained impressive averages of 16.2 points and 10.0 rebounds per game over his 17-year NBA career after being selected fifth overall in the 2008 NBA Draft. While Love’s legacy is well established, Cooper Flagg is widely regarded as a generational talent. Fresh off a dominant 30-point performance in the Sweet 16, he has already secured ACC Player and Rookie of the Year honors, along with the National Player of the Year award—further solidifying his reputation as one of the most exciting prospects in recent memory.