Former Kentucky star's verdict on Duke's Cooper Flagg invites fury from fans: "Just spamming ragebait statements"

Fans blasted DeMarcus Cousins on Tuesday after the former Kentucky star said that Cooper Flagg should not be picked first in the 2025 NBA Draft. Cousins made the controversial statement in the latest episode of FanDuel's "Run it Back" show, which NBA Central posted on its X (formerly Twitter) account.

Cousins, who played for Kentucky in the 2009-10 season, got the hosts' attention when he said that Ace Bailey should be the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft over Flagg. He compared Bailey's skill set to Basketball Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, who amassed 18,381 points in his legendary NBA career.

"I like Ace Bailey. To me, Ace Bailey is the No. 1 pick,” Cousins said (Timestamp 0:09). “I think he’s the closest thing we’ve seen to a Tracy McGrady."

DeMarcus Cousins' statement about Cooper Flagg not being the No. 1 pick was ridiculed by fans on X.

"he’s just spamming rage bait statements at this point," one fan commented.

"Just because they were good players doesn't mean they know basketball!" another fan chimed in.

"Bro only looked at the highlights," one fan replied.

Here are some other reactions.

"CTE happens in basketball I guess too," one fan joked.

"Bro just yapping to yap," another fan shared.

"He’s just looking for relevance today isn’t he," one fan posted.

"Every take he’s ever had is wrong. It’s actually impressive," another fan tweeted.

Comparing Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey's numbers in the 2024-25 NCAA season

Cooper Flagg and Ace Bailey entered their freshman seasons in college with massive expectations and they lived up to the hype. They posted impressive numbers at Duke and Rutgers, solidifying their cases to be picked inside the top three of the 2025 NBA draft.

Cooper Flagg talks to the media during the 2025 NBA Draft Combine at Marriott Marquis Chicago. Photo: Imagn

Flagg cemented his status as the projected No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft after leading the Blue Devils to a Final Four appearance. He led Duke not only in scoring and rebounding but also in assists, blocks and steals. Flagg averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 boards, 4.2 dimes, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals during the 2024-25 season.

Bailey remained a projected top-3 pick despite failing to lead Rutgers to the 2025 NCAA Tournament. He led the Scarlet Knights in rebounding and blocked shots, averaging 7.2 boards and 1.3 blocks through 30 games. He also was the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 17.6 points.