“Love that AI always shows love to the next generation!!”: College hoops fans react as Cooper Flagg receives love from Allen Iverson

Allen Iverson hyped Cooper Flagg. The NBA legend showed support to him ahead of Wednesday's NBA draft.

Fanatics shared an interaction between Flagg and Iverson on Instagram on Sunday.

"That's a bad dude right there," Iverson said. "That's a bad guy."

Iverson was about to dap Flagg up before pulling him for a hug.

"You excited?" Iverson asked.

"I'm excited, man," Flagg said.

Iverson also wished him luck for the draft and his NBA career.

"I know, that's right," Iverson said. "Good luck. Do what you do man. I love watching you play man."

NBA: Philadelphia 76ers-Iverson Statue Ceremony - Source: Imagn

Fans reacted to the interaction between the two. Many mentioned Iverson's support for the next generation of players.

"Love that AI always shows love to the next generation!!" one fan wrote.

An IG user discusses Iverson’s support for Flagg (image credit: instagram/fanatics)

"Always showing love to the next generation🐐," another fan wrote.

A fan shows appreciation for Iverson’s gesture (image credit: instagram/fanatics)

"AI is always showing love to the young cats," a fan said.

A comment hypes up Iverson for his support of young basketball players (image credit: instagram/fanatics)

Some pointed that Flagg and Iverson dapped up three times.

"Bro dapped him up 3 consecutive times😂. That's love," a fan commented.

A fan laughs at Flagg and Iverson’s interaction (image credit: instagram/fanatics)

"It's genuine when it's more than one dap💯," another fan commented.

An IG user reacts to Flagg and Iverson meeting up (image credit: instagram/fanatics)

Others showed support for Flagg.

"I'm glad Cooper is where he's at. Proud of him," one fan said.

"Need a Flagg jersey asap," another fan wrote.

IG users hype up Flagg (image credit: instagram/fanatics)

"Dallas with first pick in the 2025 draft select Cooper Flagg," a fan commented.

A fan predicts Flagg will be selected No. 1 overall in the NBA draft (image credit: instagram/fanatics)

Cooper Flagg opens up about the end of his college career

Cooper Flagg is preparing for Wednesday's NBA draft, where he is the consensus No. 1 pick. He also reflected on how his college career ended. Flagg talked to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated about his lone collegiate campagn ending at the Final Four.

In his freshman season with Duke, Flagg led the Blue Devils in every major statistical category. He guided the team to a top seed in the NCAA Tournament, but Duke didn't win a national title.

NCAA Basketball: Final Four National Semifinal-Houston at Duke - Source: Imagn

The Blue Devils were up six points with 35 seconds remaining against No. 1-seeded Houston. A 3-pointer by the Cougars and a dunk cut Duke's lead to one. Flagg was fouled in the next possession and Houston took the lead with two free-throws.

Flagg took the final shot. He pulled up from nine feet and missed off the front of the rim.

“I’m not going to beat myself up over whether I could have taken one more dribble or whether I could have done something different,” Flagg said on Wednesday.

“It was a tough shot, but I don’t think you’re going to get an easy shot in that opportunity. If you look at any game-winner at any level, I don’t think there’s a lot of wide-open (ones). You get to a spot, you raise up, and you trust the work that you put in over time. I’m just going to live with what I trusted.”

Flagg has come to terms with the end of his March Madness run and now looks ahead to his professional career.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez