Cooper Flagg names his NBA Mt. Rushmore

New Dallas Mavericks draft pick Cooper Flagg is bound to have significant impact on the game of basketball, and he took a moment to name some of the players he believes have already done so through the NBA.

Flagg was asked to name his Mount Rushmore of NBA players, and here is who he listed: Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Larry Bird.

Cooper Flagg’s Mt. Rushmore…

NBA: Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant

WNBA: Candace Parker, Brittney Griner, A’ja Wilson, Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/pUg7RovyP9

— Oh No He Didn’t (@ohnohedidnt24) June 27, 2025 This is sure to be a list that would put the Keyboard Warriors in a frenzy. Sure, Jordan and LeBron are obvious – they are, by most accounts, the two best players in NBA history with 10 championships, nine MVPs, 23 First Team All-NBA selections, and 35 All-Star Game appearances. But Kobe? Bird? Those are controversial picks to say the least.

As far as players from the same eras go, there is a case for Tim Duncan over Kobe or Magic Johnson over Bird. Not to mention, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, and Wilt Chamberlain also were legendary players who impacted the game tremendously.

That being said, Bryant and Bird have no shortness of accolades. Between the two, they combined for eight NBA Championships, four MVPs, 20 First Team All-NBA selections, and 30 All-Star Game appearances. Not too shabby.

Flagg will look to get his promising career started this fall, and he could certainly succeed by drawing inspiration from those four legends and their games. The Mavericks hope he will do so and be all they expect him to be as the first pick in the NBA Draft.