(Original article published on June 24, authored by Baxter Holmes of ESPN website, the content of the article does not represent the translator's opinion)

On the afternoon of May 12, Cooper Flag's family gathered in the rooms of the Marquis Hotel in downtown Chicago, including Flag's twin brother Ace (a minute earlier than him), father Ralph and mother Kelly.

The whole family was dressing for the 2025 NBA lottery ceremony held at the local McCormick Convention Center at 7 o'clock that night. The venue is only a few steps away from the hotel they are staying at.

But before the group set off, the Duke super freshman, also widely regarded as the No. 1 pick in this year's draft, had a 30-minute conversation with his family about the future.

such family meetings have been held many times before, and they have weighed all possible next homes and their respective advantages, but this will be the last discussion before the most-watched American rookie in recent years revealed the starting point of his NBA career that night.

For months, the whole family knew that the Wizards, Jazz and Hornets were most likely to win the No. 1 pick. At this moment, in the hotel room, they once again sorted out the advantages of each team: the voyage between Washington and Maine and North Carolina (two places where Flag's family often traveled to and from), Charlotte was also convenient for transportation, and the family also mentioned that there was a natural Duke alumni fan base; on the other hand, Danny Angie, the CEO of the Jazz at the time, was a member of the Celtics in the 1980s that Flag's parents highly praised. The couple had instilled the story of this legendary team into their sons early.

At the same time, this family is also facing an unsolvable hidden worry. Similar to many top rookies, Flag has never experienced a series of losses in all levels of competition. No matter how Flag's rookie performance in the rookie season, he is almost destined to face such a situation. Although he always said that he "just want to play basketball" and didn't care where he went, the people around him revealed that they were worried about whether this young man with a strong desire to win or lose can adapt to this psychological gap.

"It's hard for me to imagine Flag going through a season of repeated defeats." Duke head coach Jon Shayer told ESPN.

Frager's father also admitted this: "This is indeed a question we have discussed."

Online H5 Games