Dwight Howard warns Cooper Flagg ahead of NBA debut: “Don’t let the politics take away the passion”

Dwight Howard started his professional career when he was just 19 years old. When Cooper Flagg takes the NBA court next season, he would be 18. The Hall of Fame inductee understands Flagg’s situation, and had an important piece of advice for the Duke star.

Howard, who was the No. 1 pick in 2004, kept it simple and straightforward.

“Just go hoop, enjoy the games,” Howard said on Sunday, via TMZ. “Don’t let the politics take away the passion, and have fun.”

Flagg is the consensus No. 1 pick this year, and there are already discussions about what he would bring to a franchise. However, Carmelo Anthony recently said that while Flagg is a "very good player," he didn't do "anything great," but needs to play like a pro now.

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When Howard was asked about Anthony's take, he had a different view but didn't disagree with him. For the former three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Flagg has a lot of time to further develop.

"Obviously, he hasn't even made it into the NBA yet," Howard said. "If he's already good at a lot of things now and he's got a chance to master these things by the time he gets older, he'll be fine. He's only 18, 19. He got a lot of time to grow."

The Dallas Mavericks own the No. 1 pick, and after trading Luka Doncic, Flagg could help them bounce back faster.

Dwight Howard cites lessons he learned in advice for Giannis Antetokounmpo amid trade rumors

In 2012, Dwight Howard was traded by the Orlando Magic after eight seasons. During his time with the team, he became a six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA first-team member, four-time NBA All-Defensive first-team member and three-time Defensive Player of the Year.

However, things went downhill for him after leaving Orlando. During his appearance on Jeff Teague's "Club 520" podcast, Howard had some advice for Giannis Antetokoumpo amid trade rumors.

"One of the craziest things I think I did was just leaving Orlando," Howard said on Monday. "Not knowing what I had until it was really gone and not seeing when you go somewhere else, you really in somebody else’s s***. You think you can come over there and take it, but nah, it ain’t like that. Being in Orlando, I ain’t realize I’m young as hell, man.

"I'd just tell Giannis like ‘Man, you ARE Milwaukee. Where are you going?' Ain’t nothing else going to hit right after that. His best bet is to just stay put."

Howard added that Antetokounmpo and the Bucks need to focus on adding the right pieces to have a better shot.

"He don't need to go nowhere and try to figure it out. And he already won!" Howard said. "He's going to get a statue. For real, he needs to stay, man."

Howard also admitted that he became ring chaser, and during one point in his career, regretted his decision.

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About the author

Nandjee Ranjan

Nandjee Ranjan is a journalist covering the NBA and WNBA at Sportskeeda whose passion for basketball dates back to his childhood when he enjoyed playing the sport in school.

Nandjee finds his heart divided between two NBA powerhouses: the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors. He idolizes LeBron James and his leadership, while he appreciates the Warriors' dynamic and team-oriented style of play.
Basketball, for Nandjee, isn't just a sport but a holistic approach to fitness and well-being. He's been drawn to team sports, finding fulfillment in the physical engagement basketball offers.

With years of following basketball, Nandjee contextualizes historical events and player performances. He believes in conducting thorough research before writing, only taking information from reliable sources. He doesn’t mind taking more time to write an articles, as long as it is 100% accurate for his readers’ benefit.

During his leisure hours, Nandjee finds relaxation by reading books.

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