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ESPN Mics Catch Cooper Flagg's Complaint Before Mavericks Draft Him

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Kevin Borba | Last updated Jun 26, 2025 7:23 PM ET

Heading into Wednesday's first round of the 2025 NBA Draft, almost everyone anticipated that the Dallas Mavericks would take Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 pick.

The consensus first-team All-American, ACC Player of the Year and Naismith Men's Player of the Year was nothing short of a superstar during Duke's Final Four run, and was expected to be the big prize of this year's draft class.

Although many were joking that Dallas Mavericks general manager, Nico Harrison, would be foolish enough to trade the pick like he did Luka Doncic during the season, the Mavericks went through with the selection.

As shown during the ESPN broadcast, Flagg had a chat with Mavs head coach Jason Kidd, whom he thanked for the opportunity. However, shortly after Flagg's chat with his future coach, he asked those at his table about the holdup with the announcement.

"Which way am I going? Mom first, Dad second?"

Cooper Flagg was planning his route for once he was selected #1 overall last night

His best mic'd up moments from his huge night ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/64U5Lsb65j
— NBA Draft (@NBADraft) June 26, 2025

"Why is this taking so long," Flagg asked.

Once his name was finally called, Flagg buttoned up his navy blue jacket and hugged his mother, Kelly Flagg. He then shared moments with his brother Ace, his twin who is set to play basketball at Maine next season, and their older brother Hunter.

After hugging his brothers he had a moment with his father, Ralph, before hugging his agent, Austin Brown of CAA Sports, finishing it off by embracing Duke coach Jon Scheyer.

The buzz around Flagg in Dallas is already through the roof as the team had his No. 32 jersey locked and loaded following the official announcement.

While most No. 1 overall picks are tasked with saving a franchise, Flagg is sliding into a lineup that features champions in Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson, while also featuring young stars like Dereck Lively II and P.J. Washington.

It is also worth mentioning that the team will have NBA champion Kyrie Irving during what will be Flagg's second season, as the flashy guard is expected to be out with a knee injury next season.

It's possible that Flagg wasn't a fan of the pageantry that came with the draft, but his dreams have officially come true. Now, all that's left is for him to prove he can be the superstar everyone expects – something easier said than done.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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