James is very optimistic about Flag: He desires to be a great player, and his career starts differently from mine

On June 25, James evaluated the No. 1 Popular Flag on his podcast show. He believes Flag aspires to be a great player, but his career starts differently than his own. The two had a fight at the American men's basketball training camp.

"I personally think he aspires to be a great player," he said. "He has had an excellent year at Duke. This player can complete multiple tasks on the court: both with the ball and without the ball. His jumping feel will continue to improve, his athletic ability is overwhelming, and his secondary bounce speed is extremely fast."

James did notice that Flag's situation is different from his career starting point.

"Unlike me, as soon as he entered the industry, he joined a mature team with Hall of Fame players - Klay Thompson, Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving, and Hall of Fame coach Jason Kidd. These seniors can draw a blueprint for him directly, and he just needs to gradually explore his own development path in his studies."

The No. 1 pick James at the time, he became the team's scoring champion with 20 points per game in the Cavaliers. At that time, the team eventually ranked fifth in the Central Division, with Carlos Boozer, Ricky Davis and Zaydrunas Ilgoskas in the lineup.

James did not enter the playoffs until his third season of his career. Even so, his lineup configuration at that time could not be compared with the Mavericks in their healthy state next season.

"I think it's incredible to grow in such an environment every day - surrounded by such strong stadium influence, leadership, and top basketball IQ and experience," James commented, "so I firmly believe he will shine."

The 2025 draft will kick off its first-round pick on June 26, and Flag is already considered the only candidate for the No. 1 pick.