Charles Barkley joked that Michael Jordan ‘has killed more people than the plague’ when discussing future NBA superstar Cooper Flagg.

Flagg, who led Duke to the Elite Eight on Thursday night, is widely expected to be the No 1 pick when he enters the NBA draft.

The 6ft 9ins freshman is the most highly-touted prospect in men’s basketball and his performances for the Blue Devils have prompted comparisons with the likes of Kevin Durant and Larry Bird.
But Barkley is fed up with prospects being dubbed ‘the next’ version of a basketball legend. Jordan is a familiar yardstick for young players but ‘Chuck’ believes those comparisons can be a curse.

‘I think we do a disservice to a lot of these guys,’ Barkley told the Dan Patrick Show. ‘I think Michael Jordan has killed more people than the plague.

‘”This guy is the next Michael Jordan…” (then) you don’t turn out to be Michael Jordan… I hate doing that. I hate when guys on television try to compare. First of all, to say he’s already somebody in the NBA is being unfair to that person in the NBA.’

On Flagg, the Hall of Famer added: ‘This kid is really talented, he’s really smart, I can’t wait to meet him. He seems like a really nice kid because he could have had – what in my day we called – a “big head”.

‘He was the best high school player in the country, he came in with all the pressure on him but he’s lived up to the hype.

‘He hasn’t had any missteps – people are out to get you when you’re famous, especially when you’re a 17-, 18-year-old kid but I’m not going to compare.

‘It would be a disservice for me to compare him to a great NBA player. He’s a pleasure to watch… he’s a terrific young player, he looks amazing on television, I can’t wait to see him in the NBA.’