When a rookie makes history in the NBA before crossing the teenage mark, it often triggers comparisons with the legends of the league. Cooper Flagg's prowess in the Dallas Mavericks jersey recently made him the subject of a similar comparison with the great Michael Jordan.

The Dallas forward is only 19 years old, but he's already making people talk about the sport's most legendary players in ways that usually take years to develop. Flagg's 51-point outburst against Orlando on April 3 took his first reputation to a whole new level.

Coach Jason Kidd said that the 19-year-old's performance was similar to Michael Jordan's first year in the NBA. He stated, "He's with the GOAT when you talk about MJ and what he did in his rookie year, and as a teenager."

Well, Flagg's numbers aptly back up what Kidd said. The Mavericks' No. 32 broke Brandon Jennings' record for the most points scored by a teenager in a single game by over a year in age. The gam against Orlando was his third game this season with 40 points, showing that he is a consistent performer rather than shining once in a while.

Kidd's faith in Flagg's future went beyond the game itself. He said, "He should be Rookie of the Year," stressing that Flagg works in "rare air" that is usually only available to franchise cornerstones.

Season stats make this story a lot stronger. Flagg has scored 1,349 points, grabbed 428 rebounds, made 293 assists, and stolen 80 balls. He is on track to become the first rookie since Jordan to lead his team in all four categories.

His four straight 30-point games with five rebounds also put him in the same rookie club as Jordan, which makes the comparisons based on real accomplishments instead of speculation.

However, Jordan has never been a fan of comparisons.

Michael Jordan’s Surprising Answer About Comparisons and Being Called the Greatest

Jordan has maintained an incredibly warm demeanor towards the modern-day NBA geniuses. He often congratulates the distinguished achievers personally, which indicates that he'll probably be happy with Flagg's achievement and the 19-year-old being compared to him.

But here's where it gets interesting: Jordan himself doesn't want to be called the best player ever or actually comparing two players. The man behind 'Jumpman' quickly shut down the GOAT debate when CBS asked him about it. "There's no such thing as a GOAT in basketball, to me," he said. To him, individual glory is not as important as progress.

That's a shocking opinion from the most competitive player in basketball. But Jordan is right, considering each generation learns from the one before it and moves the game forward.

LeBron James sees it very differently. After his 2016 Finals comeback against Golden State, he openly claimed the title, making it clear that he was the best and won't back down.

So what does all of this mean for Flagg? His historic first season has already made people compare him to the greats. The conversation keeps changing as new stars like Victor Wembanyama come along.

Which other accolades do you think that the Mavericks' No. 32 will achieve in his career?

Read more at Air Jordan Chronicles!

Written by

Utsav Gupta

Edited by

Souvik Roy