Charles Barkley has weighed in on the situation involving Cooper Flagg and his future in basketball with a bizarre analogy.
Flagg has captivated fans during March Madness and led Duke to the Elite Eight on Thursday night. The expectation now is that he will be the No.1 pick when he enters the NBA Draft.
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Standing at 6ft 9ins, the freshman has managed to earn comparisons with players like Kevin Durant and Larry Bird, meaning he is destined for a career at the top of the sport.
Barkley uses Michael Jordan to make his point
As far as pundit Barkley is concerned, though, it is time people stop comparing young players to those who have come before because it puts far too much pressure on them.
“I think we do a disservice to a lot of these guys,” Barkley told the Dan Patrick Show. “I think Michael Jordan has killed more people than the plague.
‘”This guy is the next Michael Jordan…” (then) you don’t turn out to be Michael Jordan… I hate doing that. I hate when guys on television try to compare. First of all, to say he’s already somebody in the NBA is being unfair to that person in the NBA.”
On Flagg, the Hall of Famer added: “This kid is really talented, he’s really smart, I can’t wait to meet him. He seems like a really nice kid because he could have had – what in my day we called – a “big head”.
“He was the best high school player in the country, he came in with all the pressure on him but he’s lived up to the hype.
“He hasn’t had any missteps – people are out to get you when you’re famous, especially when you’re a 17-, 18-year-old kid but I’m not going to compare.
“It would be a disservice for me to compare him to a great NBA player. He’s a pleasure to watch… he’s a terrific young player, he looks amazing on television, I can’t wait to see him in the NBA.”
