Klay Thompson steals Kobe Bryant's playbook to mold Cooper Flagg into a superstar

Despite having some early struggles this season for the Dallas Mavericks, when you're 35 years old and have multiple NBA championships on your resume, being a leader is so crucial for the next generation. For Klay Thompson, he seems to get it with 18-year-old Cooper Flagg.

At this point in Thompson's career, he knows that his dominance is running out, but being a mentor to younger players is showing those players how to win at the highest level with professionalism. Thompson is now doing that with Flagg and taking him under his wing, and the way that he is leading the young rookie has a major similarity to Kobe Bryant and his first year with the Los Angeles Lakers.

When Bryant was a rookie trying to find his way in the NBA with the Lakers in the 1996-97 season, Byron Scott was there to mentor him. At the time, Scott had won three NBA titles and was a respected veteran. Today in 2025, Thompson sees himself as Scott's Bryant to Flagg.

Klay Thompson is leading Cooper Flagg just like Kobe Bryant was guided

"I feel like the wise veteran with the future of the franchise next to me," Thompson said about Flagg. "I've been playing through every phase, winning, losing, rehabbing, being doubted, and I just try to give him everything I've learned."

Knowing Flagg has big support from Thompson shows that he has a great mentor in him. Thompson knows that at this point in his career, being a leader is pivotal to a young superstar facing immense pressure. With the hype that Flagg has had around him since being drafted, he knows he has to live up to it. As a rookie, it will be tough with the ups and downs, but Thompson is willing to do what it takes to help Flagg go through the rollercoaster of being a teenage rookie in the NBA. This is similar to Scott and Bryant.

Scott said to "mark my words" that Bryant would be unbelievable. It turns out that Scott was right about Bryant's career, which included winning five NBA titles and numerous other achievements. When he was a rookie, Bryant mentioned how he looked forward to playing against the best basketball players in the world. Having Scott by his side made it easier for Bryant to adapt in the NBA. Now that Flagg has Thompson as a rookie, it can help him adjust to his new life of playing in the best pro basketball league in the world.

While catching Bryant in terms of being an all-time great is a tall task, Thompson knows that he can be a legend himself. He just needs to be himself, and the rest will follow suit.

"I'm not saying he is Kobe, but I remember what that relationship looked like," Thompson said about Flagg comparing him to Bryant. "Now that I'm in that position, I want to show him how much this game means to me, being out there every night."

Klay Thompson may not be the player that he used to be when he was winning rings with the Golden State Warriors. Still, he understands what it means to be a leader at this point in his basketball career, which is pivotal for the future of the Dallas Mavericks and Cooper Flagg.