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Cooper Flagg immediately enters LeBron James territory in 1st game back from injury

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Zachary Draves, ClutchPoints | Last updated Mar 5, 2026 7:52 PM ET

On Thursday, Cooper Flagg made a triumphant return to the Dallas Mavericks after a recent foot injury. Not only did he come back, but he also came back with a vengeance.

Against the Orlando Magic, Flagg etched his place among the likes of LeBron James by scoring his 1,000th career point, per the Dallas Mavericks PR. It came in his first basket of the game.

Not only that, Flagg became the second youngest player to reach 1,000 points at 19 years, 74 days old. The last one to do so was LeBron James at 19 years, 41 days old.

Cooper Flagg eclipsed 1,000 career points with his first basket of the game tonight in Orlando.

At 19 years, 74 days old, the Montverde Academy (FL) alum became the second-youngest player in NBA history to reach the 1,000-point plateau behind only LeBron James (19 yrs, 41 days). pic.twitter.com/aUSYLeZAQ5

— Mavs PR (@MavsPR) March 6, 2026

Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker round out that top five. Flagg has played in 49 games this season. Also, he is averaging 20.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

Before Thursday, Flagg had missed eight games.

Meanwhile, Flagg remains the top rookie scorer in the NBA. Furthermore, he has left an imprint on the NBA scene by achieving feats not seen from rookies. In December, Flagg became the youngest player to score 40 points in a game, 42 against the Utah Jazz.

Plus, Flagg cemented his place amongst the likes of Michael Jordan as well as LeBron to become the third player to gather 750 points, 150 assists, 50 steals, and 30 blocks in his first 40 games.

In February, Flagg was selected to play in the NBA Rising Stars Game during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. However, he had to miss out due to his injury.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks are 21-40, on an eight-game losing streak, and have lost eight out of their last ten games.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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