Cooper Flagg's Blunt Statement After Mavericks Debut

While all eyes were on Flagg for his Mavs debut, it was Victor Wembanyama who stole the spotlight with his awe-inspiring performance. The 7-foot-3 phenom dropped 40 points on 15-of-21 from the floor, 15 rebounds, one assist, a steal, three blocks and one triple in 30 minutes of action.

The Mavs simply had no answer for Wembanyama, who looked unstoppable in his 2025-26 debut. Flagg, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. The Mavs rookie spoke bluntly about his performance during his postgame interview inside the locker room.

“Not great, I mean obviously didn’t play incredibly well but got to move past it,” he said. "Trying to focus on the next target in front of you."

Flagg kept his statement short and sweet, and he did not shy away from the fact that it was not an ideal debut for him.

Nevertheless, it’s a long season ahead for the 18-year-old and the Mavs. He may not have been exceptional in his first NBA game, but Flagg proved that he is fully capable of competing at an elite level.

As the 6-foot-9 small forward said, his sights are now set on what’s ahead. Dallas’ next game is on Friday as it hosts the Washington Wizards in another home game at American Airlines Center. Flagg will get an opportunity to make some more noise against the Wizards, with tipoff scheduled at 8:30 p.m. ET.