At just 18 years old, Cooper Flagg isn’t just entering the NBA, he’s walking into a franchise once led by Luka Doncic, and doing it as the No. 1 overall pick.
The moment Cooper Flagg was drafted with the No. 1 pick by the Dallas Mavericks 🏀 pic.twitter.com/LkwwoYZT7m
– ESPN (@espn) June 26, 2025
Flagg’s journey from small-town Maine to NBA stardom didn’t happen by chance.
Those who’ve watched him develop say he’s always embraced pressure, and now, the Dallas Mavericks are betting on that mindset to carry them into a new era.
“Cooper is just wired different,” Flagg’s longtime trainer Matt Mackenzie told Yahoo Sports. “He thrives in situations where he has pressure, where there are expectations placed upon him, where he has to prove that he is who people think he is. For him to be drafted No. 1, I can’t think of anyone more deserving, but I also can’t think of anyone more fit to handle it.”
This isn’t Flagg’s first time being thrown into the fire. At just 15, he earned a spot on the USA U17 national team over older, more hyped prospects, eventually delivering 10 points, 17 rebounds, 8 steals, 4 blocks, and 2 assists in the gold medal game against Spain.
“It was incredible to be there firsthand and see him win over NBA scouts and USA Basketball people session by session,” said Andy Bedard, Flagg’s AAU coach since childhood. “He was the most mature one out there and he was the only one without a driver’s license.”
With Dallas spiraling from eighth to tenth in the West after the trade and ultimately landing in the draft lottery, the door opened for Flagg. And now, the Mavericks are asking him to fill the void left by a franchise icon.
“Some people would say it’s pressure following Luka,” Flagg said on Tuesday. “I wouldn’t look at anything as pressure. I think whatever situation I go into, I’m just going to try and be myself all the time and push myself to be better and better every day.”
