Jul 12, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) looks on during the first quarter of their game against the San Antonio Spurs at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Candice Ward-Imagn Images Candice Ward-Imagn Images

Latest Cooper Flagg update proves how great he can be for Mavericks

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 6:15 PM ET

The Dallas Mavericks have a special talent in Cooper Flagg. When the ping pong balls bounced their way, everyone in the NBA couldn't believe how lucky the Mavs had gotten, saving the franchise for the next decade from the disastrous Luka Doncic trade.

Flagg's debut in the NBA Summer League against the Los Angeles Lakers was a disappointing one, finishing with just 10 points on 5/21 shooting. But he came back with a vengeance against the Spurs in the second, going for 31 points.

The Mavericks then sat Flagg for the rest of the Summer League, realizing they'd seen enough and didn't want to risk him getting hurt, which was the plan all along. However, according to a Mavericks executive through Spotrac's Keith Smith, Flagg wanted to play another game to prove the second game was real.

"Here’s a good story for you: He shot like crap in his first game here [Las Vegas]. Second game, he dominated. We had a plan to play only two games. Cooper comes to the us and the coaches and asks to play a third game. We laughed and told him, ‘No. You’re good.’ And he goes, ‘I just don’t want people to think the good game was a fluke.’ All we could do was laugh, but it shows how much he wants to be great."

Flagg's work ethic is one of the first things you'll hear about from anyone who has been around him. He has an intense drive to be great, and that's something that Mavericks fans will be able to attach to.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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