Cooper Flagg honest about angry DMs from fans over bets: 'See it and laugh at it'

Sports betting has reshaped how many fans choose to consume college athletics over the last several years. In turn, the biggest stars in each sport have been placed under a stronger microscope.

Athletes receiving harrassment for situations like not hitting a certain line, or their team not covering the spread are becoming more commonplace. It’s gotten to the point that the NCAA released a video titled, ‘Don’t be a loser,‘ which was aimed at fans who direct hate toward athletes for their own failed wagers.

Even Duke superstar Cooper Flagg has not been immune to this, he revealed before the Blue Devils’ matchup in the Sweet 16 against Arizona on Thursday. Despite him and his team’s success this season, some fans have chosen to DM him to voice their frustration with him for not hitting on a bet that they placed.

“I mean, no, not really,” Flagg said. “I mean, I think — kind of like you said, the DMs and stuff like that, all throughout the season we kind of see that a little bit. Talking for myself and some of my teammates, I know all of us have gotten DMs and stuff like that. But it’s not that big of a deal. We kind of just see it and laugh at it.”

Duke currently sits at 33-3 overall — the most wins of any team still left in the March Madness field. Moreover, Flagg has been a statsheet stuffer for his entire true freshman season.

He leads Duke in points (18.7), rebounds (7.5), assists (4.2), steals (1.4) and blocks (1.3) per game. He’s also made his mark on the NCAA Tournament as well. In Duke’s Round of 32 win over Baylor, Flagg’s fingerprints were all over the court. He finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and a block as his team cruised to an 89-66 victory.

Heading into the Sweet 16, Duke has beat its first two NCAA Tournament opponents by an average of 33.5 points on a 91 points per game average. Set to do battle against the Arizona Wildcats in the third round, all eyes will be on Flagg to perform in front of the bright lights with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.

Tip-off between the Blue Devils and Wildcats is scheduled for Thursday, March 27 at 9:39 p.m. ET and will air live on CBS. Duke is currently a 9.5-point favorite, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.