Explaining the “One and Done” Rule That Cooper Flagg Recently Practiced After His Groundbreaking NBA Revelation

The NBA has been in the stars for the magnificent Cooper Flagg ever since his high school days. The 18-year-old is now officially going to the NBA, which he announced earlier in the day. The 18-year-old led Duke to the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, where they wound up losing to Houston. It was a heartbreaking game for Duke as they wasted a 14-point lead to end up on the losing side.

Flagg will look to end the disappointment behind him, as he still was the best player at the Nationals, winning the Player of the Year. The collegiate superstar will now move to the big leagues, rubbing shoulders alongside the likes of Stephen Curry and LeBron James. Cooper Flagg was at Duke for just one year but has made a lasting impact from his time there. If it was just one year, why did he even go to college?

What is the One and Done rule of the NBA?

It was 2005 when the NBA brought in a rule to restrict 18-year-olds from getting into the NBA right after high school. This meant every promising prospect from high school would have to do at least a year of college before being eligible for the NBA draft. Some people were outraged, saying that this is taking away the prospects of the high school stars, while others were in agreement. They opined that the players need to sustain their level for at least a year more, then get the money and fame that come with the NBA. Kobe Bryant was one of the players coming straight out of high school and struggled to find his footing immediately in his rookie season.

Which kid would not want the NBA-level money and fame? But that could derail their career considering their immaturity. There has been a long-standing debate among the fans and experts alike regarding this rule. Before the 2019 draft, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said that the “one-and-done” rule will soon be over and long forgotten. This has not happened, as it’s still in place. There have been failures and success stories coming from the one-and-done rule in the past.

NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: Duke at Virginia Feb 17, 2025 Charlottesville, Virginia, USA Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg 2 celebrates with teammates in the final seconds against the Virginia Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena. Charlottesville John Paul Jones Arena Virginia USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xGeoffxBurkex 20250217_gkb_sb4_014

Did Kevin Durant and Zion Williamson practice this rule just like Cooper Flagg?

Kevin Durant seems to be the poster boy of this one-and-done rule, as he spent a year at the University of Texas before entering the NBA. Durant was already good at the high school level but he showed that he was just a different beast at college. Durant led the Big 12 Conference in scoring average, rebounding average, and blocked shots. He was the second pick in the 2017 draft for the Seasttle Supersonics and the rest is history.

Zion Williamson is the other side of the coin with regard to this rule, as he was one of the most hyped athletes in the country at the time. His clips were all over Youtube and was touted by Kevin Durant himself as an ‘Once in a generation athlete.’ Williamson attended Duke for a year and was the first pick in the 2019 draft for the New Orleans Pelicans. However, injuries delayed his debut and plagued him in his career so far.

Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) against the Los Angeles Lakers at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

How Will Cooper Flagg’s Decision Interfere with his College Career?

Cooper Flagg almost had a perfect season as a freshman. He led the Blue Devils to a No. 1 seed and Final Four appearance as a freshman, averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.4 blocks on 48.1/38.5/84.0 shooting splits. What’s next for him? Flagg is probably the favorite for being the number 1 draft pick for next season and will officially arrive in the league.

His college will fall behind as it will be a bittersweet goodbye, as they will be happy for him but they now face an impossible task of replacing him on their team. The Duke team is not unfamiliar with losing freshmen players, as just last season they lost Jared McCain and Kyle Flipkowski to the NBA. If, in a very extreme case, Flagg’s career has to end abruptly due to some reason, he could trace his college roots like Greg Oden and re-enroll in the school to complete the academic degree.

Oden was another One-and-Done rule graduate who struggled with injuries and ended up playing just 105 games in the NBA. Cooper Flagg had to take that one year or if he had the choice, he would be in the NBA right now, probably in the playoffs too. There seems to be a bright future for Flagg but the future for this rule still remains as uncertain as it was some years ago.

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