Getty Image
There always seems to be at least one high school phenom that gains plenty of attention in the basketball world before they even reach college.
Well, the next one is officially here, as rumors are that 16-year-old prospect Cooper Flagg cooked Bradley Beal at Jayson Tatum‘s Elite Camp.
According to Sporting News, former NBA player Brian Scalabrine alleges that Flagg was beating Beal badly and talking trash. It apparently got to the point that Bradley Beal began cussing out Cooper Flagg on the court.
“I heard a rumor that my boy Cooper Flagg was at Jayson Tatum’s camp and he was busting Brad Beal 1-on-1, and Brad Beal got mad at him. Started cussing him out.”
Scalabrine continues by claiming, “This dude is a major trash-talker. So I guess the rumor is that Brad Beal and him were squaring off 1-on-1 and Brad Beal was taking it lightly. It’s a high school kid. Then Cooper started giving it to him. And I guess the rumor is, Cooper started talking trash and Bradley Beal got mad. Really mad.”
That’s all Brian Scalabrine had to say about it. He didn’t provide any more details other than Bradley Beal allegedly being upset with Cooper Flagg.
Even so, Flagg does have a tendency to play with a ton of fire. He’s often seen yelling after making a big play and getting in the faces of his opponents.
Here’s a little example of what Flagg brings to the table anytime he hits the court.
Cooper really differentpic.twitter.com/nM6V8Si4pn
— Ron James🌰 (@2_Tees) August 2, 2023
Although it’s hard to imagine a 16-year-old kid outplaying one of the NBA’s best guards, there may be some legitimacy to Scalabrine’s story.
Sporting News shares that “Scalabrine’s story also lines up with a post on Tatum’s Instagram story after the camp concluded, where the superstar made a comment about loving the way the campers competed and talked a whole lot of trash. The post has since disappeared, as Instagram stories do after 24 hours.”
Cooper Flagg is currently ranked as the No. 2 player of the 2025 high school class. But many claim he’s the top NBA prospect once he’s eligible for the draft.
If this story is true, then we should prepare ourselves to see more news about Flagg. He very well could be the next big thing in the NBA.