Cooper Flagg could very likely hold more than his own weight in the NBA today, but by rule, he must be one year removed from high school before going pro.
So, he opted to go to Duke, and while most are predicting he’s a one-and-done, that may actually not be the case.
In a recent interview with “The Athletic,” Flagg, projected to be the No. 1 selection in this summer’s NBA Draft, made a stunning proclamation about his basketball future.
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Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) looks on prior to the game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome.
“S—, I want to come back next year,” the freshman said.
“I still feel like a kid,” he continued. “This is the only way I’ve ever known college. That’s how I see it. I really wouldn’t know how kids felt before, and if this feels different, if this feels more like being a professional. I mean, it’s the same thing for kids in high school, too, getting paid a lot of money. I don’t know. I feel pretty normal.”
The 6’9″ forward has been dominating as part of the No. 4 team in the country, averaging 19.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest. He’s started all of his 24 games played this season, shooting 48.3% from the floor and 37.0% from deep.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) drives as Wake Forest’s Tre’Von Spillers (25) defends during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
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Flagg actually started the college season as a 17-year-old, turning 18 just four days before Christmas. (He reclassified to graduate high school a year early.) He was the highest-rated recruit for the class of 2024 and received a Division I offer from Bryant before even completing middle school.
The Newport, Maine, native attended the Montverde Academy in Florida after playing his freshman year at Falmouth High School in his home state.
Duke’s Cooper Flagg (2) high-fives head coach Jon Scheyer, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina State in Durham, N.C., Monday, Jan. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben McKeown)
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It is rather uncommon for top NBA prospects to spend more than one year in college nowadays, but perhaps NIL has changed the game. Yet again, it is fun to stay young, as Flagg feels.
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As important as “The Big Game” is, what happens in the week leading up to the Super Bowl can create lasting memories.
For 19 Make-A-Wish kids and their families, that’s exactly what happened on Friday morning at Locker Room by LIDS in the New Orleans Riverwalk Outlets.
The group, which has been in the Big Easy for Super Bowl LIX week, has had tons of great experiences leading up to the game they will be attending.
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Tristan Wirfs, Jahmyr Gibbs and Cam Skattebo smile with Make-A-Wish kids at Super Bowl Experience on February 7, 2025, in New Orleans, Louisiana.(Anna Webber/Getty Images for Fanatics)
But they got a surprise like no other when they were told by Orlando Ashford, Strategic Advisor, Fanatics, that every kid would receive a $250 gift card to spend in the store, which included hats, jerseys, shirts and more from every team in the NFL.
That wasn’t all, though, as Ashford announced some special guests with him to help the kids and their families pick out the right gear: Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, and Arizona State running Cam Skattebo, who is expected to be drafted in April to his new NFL squad.
The group went wild as the three football players walked out, and they got to shopping.
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“Make-A-Wish Foundation is incredible and being able to be here to see the smiles on the kids’ faces, it’s something so simple, like taking a picture, hanging out, shopping, doing whatever. It’s pretty special,” Wirfs, who said that he has a different perspective now being a father himself, told Fox News Digital during the shopping spree.
Skattebo added: “You never really know who you’re going to meet and what smile is going to make the day for you. You don’t know and realize what these kids know about you. The fact that you can make their day by just meeting them, putting a smile on your face while you meet them, it could change their lives and how you look at things.”
Cameron Skattebo and Tristan Wirfs take a picture with a Make-A-Wish kid in New Orleans(Anna Webber/Getty Images for Fanatics)
Ashford mentioned during his speech before revealing the players that he has actually retired from his role with Fanatics, but he remains on the Make-A-Wish national board because of how much he loves creating memories for these kids and their families on the sports side.
“For a company like Fanatics, we’ve been blessed to go to the Super Bowl and have great events like this,” he said. “To be able to take a little bit of that energy and pour it into some young people who are dealing with some pretty extreme issues and challenges, we’re more than honored to do that as a company.
“The reason I continue to do it is because it’s such an energy boost.”
Flo Bryan, Chief Corporate Alliances Officer, was all smiles as well, interacting with the kids picking out their favorite player’s and team’s gear. It’s safe to say every event like this never gets old.
“Oh, gosh no,” she replied. “You see the smiles on these kids’ faces. Just the fact that we’re able to grant these kinds of wishes with partners like Fanatics. Since they’ve come on board as our official sports sponsor, to have them really elevate these wishes like they’ve been doing is incredible.”
Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi.(Tubi)
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Lasting memories were made in that LIDS store on Friday morning, and many more will continue to be made with this partnership for Make-A-Wish and Fanatics, as they continue to bring together some of the best athletes in the world to provide hope and joy for these kids and their families going through challenges.
“I couldn’t imagine meeting somebody in the NFL when I was a kid. So, being able to be that person for those kids now is a really cool feeling,” Wirfs said.
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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.
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NEW ORLEANS – Each year, the Super Bowl creates memories that last a lifetime for so many, whether they are heading to the “Big Game,” or at home watching with friends and family.
This year, Green Bay Packers star running back Josh Jacobs is doing something special for someone he puts in the category as “the real heroes.”
Retired Sgt. Maj. Kevin Bennett is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, who served 34 years from 1971-2004. He had a career filled with combat missions and assignments that took him to places like Saudi Arabia/Kuwait during Operation Desert Storm, Panama, Norway, Japan, Korea and the Philippines.
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Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs, #8, celebrates a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Nov. 24, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.(AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Bennett now lives in Stafford, Virginia, but he will be down in the Big Easy on Sunday as Jacobs will be surprising him and his wife of 33 years, Ivette, with Super Bowl LIX tickets to watch the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles.
Jacobs stopped by Radio Row with Fox News Digital to explain the honor it is to be surprising Bennett with the two tickets after teaming up with USAA, the official “Salute to Service” partner of the NFL and the Marine Corps Association to honor this deserving military veteran.
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“Man, I’m excited because obviously, to me, they’re the real heroes,” Jacobs said. “My grandpa served in the Air Force and my uncle actually served in the Marines. So, for me, it’s definitely closer to home. To be able sit down, talk to him, pick his brain a little bit, tell him I appreciate his service and things like that is definitely huge for me.
“I think that it’s great that we highlight him and what he’s done and let him celebrate this with us.”
Josh Jacobs, #8 of the Green Bay Packers, participates in drills during the Green Bay Packers Minicamp at Ray Nitschke Field on June 11, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Jacobs will meet Bennett and many other military guests at the USAA’s Salute to Service Lounge during the Super Bowl Experience, as one of several NFL stars partnered with the veteran service organizations down in New Orleans.
Being the league’s “Salute to Service” partner, USAA honors military communities all over the country during the NFL season, which includes hosting military members, veterans, their families and more at events like the Super Bowl.
NFL Boot Camps have also been a fun way for those in the military community to get involved and interact with players like Jacobs, while also experiencing some of the best the league has to offer at the Super Bowl, the Pro Bowl, the NFL Draft and more.
Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi.(Tubi)
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The impact of honoring our military is why Jacobs loves moments like he will have with Bennett on Friday ahead of the Big Game.
“With USAA and the Marine Corps, it’s been real big for me. It’s closer to home for me. But not only that, to be able to give back, even if it’s the slightest, or to shine light on the real heroes, I try to do that as much as I can. It’s a blessing and an honor to be able to work with these guys.”
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Paul “Triple H” Levesque was surprised at WWE HQ last week when CEO Nick Khan and legends Shawn Michaels and Undertaker revealed he would be the first member of the 2025 Hall of Fame class.
Levesque will go into the Hall of Fame as a solo wrestler. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the D-Generation X tag-team with Michaels, who were both integral parts of the “Monday Night Wars” against World Championship Wrestling in the late 1990s.
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WWE Chief Content Officer Paul Levesque aka Triple H speaks during a press conference after the WWE Royal Rumble at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Jan. 28, 2023.(Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports)
He spoke about receiving the honor at the Royal Rumble post-event press conference.
“In business for me, outside of the ring, there’s nobody that I respect more, nobody, than him,” he said of Khan. “He’s my partner in all of this. So him doing that for me was incredibly meaningful.”
Last week, Khan was addressing the company when Michaels and Undertaker, whose real name is Mark Calaway, interrupted and surprised Levesque with their own announcement.
“From a guy who usually has something to say about everything, I’m speechless,” Levesque said on Wednesday. “I’m gonna kill Nick when we leave here. If you see someone flying off of the roof, just ignore it. I don’t really know what else to say.”
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Stephanie McMahon and Paul “Triple H” Levesque arrive at the 71st Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angels on Sept. 22, 2019.(Harrison Hill-USA TODAY)
Levesque was a 14-time world champion in WWE, winning the WWE Championship nine times and the World Heavyweight Championship five times. He had significant feuds with The Rock, Mick Foley, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Michaels, Undertaker and countless others throughout the duration of his career.
He became WWE’s chief content officer in 2022 and helped usher in a “new era” in the company following the departure of Vince McMahon, his father-in-law, due to sexual misconduct allegations. He has since been the main voice behind the company’s creative work.
Levesque’s WrestleMania XX match against Chris Benoit and Michaels, his WrestleMania 22 match against John Cena and WrestleMania XXIV match against Undertaker are considered some of the best in the event’s history.
Paul “Triple H” Levesque speaks at a WWE news conference at T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 11, 2019 in Las Vegas.(Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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The WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is usually set for the Friday before WrestleMania, which would be April 18. He is the only person in the class so far.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
Angel Reese surprised her mom with a birthday gift that nearly brought her to tears.
Reese’s mother, Angel Webb Reese, was a guest on the WNBA star’s “Unapologetically Angel” podcast.
At the end of the episode, Reese let her mother know that she had paid off her mortgage as part of her gift.
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Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) looks on during the first half of a basketball game against the Las Vegas Aces at Wintrust Arena. (Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)
“You said that if your mortgage was paid off that you would retire, or you won’t work, or you can pick if you want to work still, so your mortgage has been paid,” Reese said.
Webb Reese nearly dropped the cake she had been given, in disbelief.
“What?” Webb Reese said, flabbergasted.
“Today, your mortgage has been paid. You ain’t gotta worry about your mortgage no more. And if you want to still work and keep yourself busy, you can keep yourself busy,” Reese continued.
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LSU Lady Tigers forward Angel Reese takes a photo for senior night with former LSU player and NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal, LSU Lady Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey, and Reese’s mother Angel Webb against the Kentucky Wildcats at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. (Matthew Hinton-USA TODAY Sports)
“Are you serious?” Webb Reese said, overwhelmed by Reese’s gift.
“And when I move to Chicago this year — actually I’m getting a house, y’all — you can come stay with me whenever you want to,” Reese added.
“That was my biggest goal in life, to retire you. To pay your mortgage or whatever you wanted for you not to work.”
Webb Reese started to tear up and then Reese came over to her and sang “Happy Birthday.”
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Angel Reese (5) of the Rose takes a moment against the Vinyl during a timeout in the first half of the Unrivaled women’s professional 3v3 basketball league at Wayfair Arena. (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images)
Webb Reese played for the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) and was inducted into the UMBC Athletics Hall of Fame.
Reese wore #10 at LSU once it became available to honor her mother, as Webb Reese wore #10 in her playing days.
Now with the Chicago Sky, Reese dons #5.
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Ryan Canfield is a digital production assistant for Fox News Digital.
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In a move that some critics say was intended to influence the Trump administration and Congress, Karim Khan, controversial prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC), filed applications for arrest warrants against Taliban senior leader Haibatullah Akhundzada and Taliban chief justice Abdul Hakim Haqqani for crimes against humanity.
The timing of the move came as the U.S. Senate prepares to vote on a bill to sanction the ICC over its request for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant. The House bill passed on Jan. 9 with bipartisan support.
Khan’s “move is no doubt a Hail Mary pass to deter the Senate vote,” Richard Goldberg, a senior advisor at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital. He added that some in Washington “might fall for the charade… Khan and the ICC have already shown us who and what they are. They are still investigating Americans, they are seeking the arrest of Israelis, all red lines have been crossed and there’s no evading the consequences.”
LINDSEY GRAHAM DEMANDS ICC REVEAL DETAILS OF PROBE INTO PROSECUTOR KHAN’S MISCONDUCT ALLEGATIONS
The International Criminal Court (ICC) building in The Hague, Netherlands, on April 30, 2024.(Selman Aksunger/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act would sanction foreigners attempting to arrest, detain, prosecute or investigate citizens of the U.S. or its allies, including Israel. It would also attempt to regain funds designated to the ICC and stop further court contributions. The U.S. is not party to the Rome Statute.
Rebecca Hamilton, formerly a lawyer in the ICC’s prosecutorial division, wrote in Just Security about the double standard the U.S. is forced into by opposing the ICC following the Taliban arrest warrants. Given the timing of the Senate’s impending vote on a bill that “potentially threatens the ICC’s very survival,” Hamilton wrote, “One might argue then, that the ICC Prosecutor’s announcement on Thursday was less about pursuing his mandate, and more about trying to save his job.”
In addressing the matter she added, “The discretion that the ICC Prosecutor has to determine when to go public with the announcement of an arrest warrant application is often used strategically, and surely has been in this case. But investigations of international crimes cannot be put together overnight.”
Karim Khan is the ICC’s chief prosecutor.(Getty Images)
Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, told Fox News Digital, “Prosecutor Karim Khan has a myopic obsession over Israel with the war crimes charges leveled at Israel’s democratically elected prime minister and former defense minister. Equating the leaders of a democracy with leaders of the Hamas terrorist organization – and more recently, with the Taliban – is an insult to the principles of justice.”
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT: 20 YEARS, BILLIONS SPENT, LIMITED SUCCESS AS US CONSIDERS SANCTIONS
Danon said, “The ICC has lost its credibility, and it’s about time for a review of the ICC’s – and Prosecutor Khan’s – true motivations for focusing so intensely – and so distortedly – on Israel.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the ICC to ask why warrants against Taliban leaders have taken so long to issue, as well as about whether there is equivalence between the crimes for which the ICC seeks to charge Taliban leaders, and those for which the ICC has charged Netanyahu and Gallant.
The Office of the Prosecutor told Fox News Digital that announcements in Afghanistan “marked the culmination of significant work between the Office and affected communities in seeking accountability for alleged crimes committed in Afghanistan.” The office stated that its investigation into Afghanistan had only resumed on Oct. 31, 2022, after being deferred due to “an admissibility challenge by the former government of Afghanistan.”
A Taliban fighter stands guard as women wait to receive food rations distributed by a humanitarian aid group in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 23, 2023.(AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi, File)
Khan’s office said it follows the same protocol for the filing of all warrants, including those in Afghanistan and for Palestinians. It noted that in the past year, the ICC has “sought or obtained warrants for arrest in situations including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Myanmar/Bangladesh, State of Palestine, Libya and Mali as well as taking forward trials in the situations in Mali, Central African Republic and Darfur.”
PENTAGON ‘FUNDAMENTALLY REJECTS’ ICC DECISION TO ISSUE ARREST WARRANT FOR NETANYAHU
A spokesperson from the European Union said that “the EU respects the court’s independence and impartiality.”
While the spokesperson did not speak to charges against Israeli officials, they said, “The EU and its Member States support initiatives that ensure accountability and regularly recall that systematic and systemic violations against women and girls in Afghanistan may amount to gender persecution, which is a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute of the ICC of which Afghanistan is a state party.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant with senior military officials during the strike on Iran.(Avi Ohayon/ GPO)
A spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, did not respond to Fox News Digital’s questions about the equivalence between warrants for Taliban and Israeli leaders.
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Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., Tweeted on Jan. 24 that he plans to vote for the ICCA, explaining that “the ICC’s treatment towards Israel and equivocating to Hamas was unacceptable. We should absolutely sanction the ICC.”
Goldberg, a former national security advisor during President Donald Trump’s first term, warned “the sanctions coming out of Congress will certainly make life difficult for the officials and groups who are waging lawfare against us, but to actually cripple ICC operations and end the lawfare, we will need the Trump administration to impose sanctions directly on the ICC. I’m not sure American service members are safe until that happens.”
