Cooper Flagg isn’t even in the NBA yet, but he has a bigger following than some in the league. That’s how big the hype is surrounding the Duke player. And someone who buys into this hype is Celtics legend Kevin Garnett, who couldn’t help but sing his praises on his podcast recently. But in doing so, he may have pissed off a disgruntled fanbase.
For the uninitiated, a few months ago, the former Celtics forward appeared on a podcast named “ALL THE SMOKE,” hosted by former NBA champs Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson. And on it, Kevin Garnett was asked about a ton of unanswered questions like Devin Booker’s fate this season and the NBA player under the most pressure to win. Among these he was asked if Cooper Flagg could cut it in the NBA.
The Celtics legend’s answer left no doubts about his stance. “I could see kids wanting to be like that and play like that. You know what I’m saying? Like, real talk. When I see him move, I’m like, ‘Okay. Yeah.’… He got that superstar potential that you can come in and put product behind him. You know what I’m saying? We ain’t had no bada– cold a– white boy like this in a long time,” KG praised Cooper Flagg. In doing so, he inadvertently proved how aptly named the podcast really is.
KG is all-in on Cooper Flagg’s superstar potential ⁰⁰“I could see kids wanting to be like that and play like that… We ain’t have no cold a** white boy like this in a long time!”
ALL-NEW Ticket & The Truth: https://t.co/Twsr4EqkLV pic.twitter.com/9P0gBj8syC
— All the Smoke (@allthesmokeprod) September 20, 2024
That’s because in praising Cooper Flagg, Garnett glossed over the most beloved Dallas Maverick since Dirk Nowitzki. We’re talking about Luka Doncic, if you haven’t caught on, by the way. That last bit about not having such a “white boy” as talented as Flagg in such a long time… That was the bit that really got to the Mavs fanbase.
After all, even if their GM didn’t, the Dallas faithful hailed Luka Doncic as a once-in-a-generation talent. And he proved them right with his sensational hoopin’ over the years. So, for KG to write him off like that? Well, that went down like a sack of bricks thrown off the roof of a building.
Consequently, Mavs/Luka fans online tore the 2008 NBA Champion apart. So here are some of the best reactions to Kevin Garnett disregarding Luka Doncic from X.
Mavs Community Livid With Kevin Garnett for Overlooking Luka Doncic
“Luka has entered the chat,” wrote one X user as another pointed out, “Damn yall really just forgot about Luka, aight bet.” Luka Doncic is arguably among the top 5 players in the NBA today. He nearly won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks last year. So, not giving Luka his props while hyping up a player who’s never played a minute of NBA basketball is as close to heresy as you can get in the league.
There were also a lot of fans who simply believed KG was overhyping Cooper Flagg. Despite being fan of Garnett, one X user wrote, “I don’t believe his predictions since the Thon Maker.” And this seems to be the prevailing logic — “Typical KG,” wrote another member of the community. And it all stems from KG saying that former Bucks player Thon Maker would become MVP someday. Thon now plays for Al Riyadi Club Beirut in the Lebanese Basketball Federation. Safe to say that prediction didn’t pan out.
Nov 4, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) during the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Indiana Pacers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
But a horde of Kevin Garnett fans defended him, saying that KG was only including Americans in the conversation of being the best white player. “Obviously means American players,” wrote one in defense of Garnett. “We as in American players,” clarified another. But even if Garnett meant only American players, it’s still doing a disservice to some incredible players currently in the league. As one NBA fan pointed out, “Hate to be such a hater, but what does he do better than Chet?” And the answer as of May 2025? Nothing!
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