Anthony Davis Unsure of One Thing About Cooper Flagg After First NBA Game

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 8:06 AM ET

The Dallas Mavericks lost their season opener 125-92 to the San Antonio Spurs as Victor Wembanyama scored 40 points, 15 rebounds.
Rookie Cooper Flagg struggled, finishing with 10 points, no assists, and poor shooting.
Anthony Davis revealed his honest assessment of the rookie's first game.

Anthony Davis and Cooper Flagg played in their first NBA game together on Wednesday night for the Dallas Mavericks. It was a season-opener to forget for the Mavs, though, as they suffered a 125-92 blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs on their own home floor at American Airlines Center.

Victor Wembanyama was an unstoppable force in his first game of the campaign, dropping a 40-point, 15-rebound double-double in just 30 minutes of action. Davis, a five-time All-Defense big man, could simply watch as Wembanyama imposed his will on the Mavericks. The Spurs superstar put on a show, and Davis and Co. had no answer.

Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) during the NBA preseason.© Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

Flagg wasn’t exactly impressive in his first-ever NBA game either. The 18-year-old rookie finished with 10 points as he struggled with his shot. Flagg went 4-of-13 against San Antonio, missing his only three-point attempt in his rather forgettable debut.

Flagg also took over point guard duties for head coach Jason Kidd, but the No. 1 overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft could not manage a single assist in 32 minutes of play. It remains to be seen if Flagg will continue to play the one position moving forward, considering how Kyrie Irving still has no timetable on his recovery from a torn ACL.

Davis was asked to share his opinion on his rookie teammate’s opening-night performance. The 10-time All-Star got brutally honest in his response.

"Game one. I mean, he's still a rookie," said Davis, via Bleacher Report. "You're coming in and preseason was obviously good, but when that game one comes around (in a) packed stadium, national TV game ... I'm not sure if he's a social media guy or not, but you saw it—everything was No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg and Wemby match up and all this stuff.

"So you start hearing it, and I'm not sure if it got to him, but it's first-game jitters when it's time for the real thing."

Based on his statement here, it is clear that Davis still hasn’t gotten to know Flagg very well. The veteran is not aware if the rookie keeps himself updated on social media, and Davis is unsure if all the noise got into Flagg’s head. All this isn’t surprising, though, considering how they’ve only been teammates for four months.

Nevertheless, Davis made it abundantly clear that he’s not worried about his young teammate. “He'll be fine," quipped the NBA champion forward-center.

Flagg will get a chance to redeem himself on Friday night when the Mavs return to action against the Washington Wizards. It’s going to be another home game for Dallas, with tipoff from American Airlines Center set for 8:30 p.m. ET.

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

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