The Big Lead

Cooper Kupp's impressive high school basketball flex confirmed by Zach LaVine

By Joe Lago

Sep 8, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) catches a pass and runs for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
Sep 8, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp (10) catches a pass and runs for a touchdown against the Detroit Lions in the fourth quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images / Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images
facebooktwitter

Cooper Kupp is in the news because of swirling trade rumors, but the Los Angeles Rams wide receiver also went viral Wednesday with a video from his podcast with quarterback Matthew Stafford.

In the season premiere of the "Nine and Dime" podcast, Stafford asks Kupp if he considered playing basketball instead of football in college and reads a fairly astounding stat about the receiver's basketball playing prowess: Kupp held NBA star Zach LaVine to four points in a quarterfinal game of the Washington state high school basketball playoffs.

RELATED: Cooper Kupp focused on Los Angeles amidst trade rumors

"The points thing is up for debate," Kupp tells Stafford. "He ended with 14. I didn't play the fourth quarter, though."

Stafford then asks if it was just a zone defense, but Kupp sets him straight. "No, it was man-to-man, and it was full-court (pressure)," Kupp says. "I'm going to admit that I played pretty good defense that game."

Kupp's Davis High School squad won the 4A state title and, according to Kupp, had no player taller than 6-foot-2. That explains why LaVine's recollection of his prep hoops encounter with Kupp was "a little white dude guarding me."

"They straight kicked our ass," LaVine said Wednesday before the Chicago Bulls' season opener against the New Orleans Pelicans. "I don't think anybody on their team had over 15 points, but they all had at least 10.

"They doubled me and Cooper Kupp was picking me up full-court. I didn't have a good game. ... Hey, whatever it (his point total) was, I didn't play well. He can say whatever he wants."

MORE TOP STORIES From the Big Lead

MLB/SPORTS MEDIA: The late Fernando Valenzuela’s life as a broadcaster 

NFL: What’s Tyreek Hill tweeting about now?

NBA: Is this going to be Revenge Szn for Jayson Tatum?

MLB: Juan Soto’s contract should be >$500 Million