Mark Cuban Calls Out NBA Referees Over Cooper Flagg

“I saw a foul," Kidd said. "Sean (Wright), Simone (Jelks) & Jason (Goldberg) were awful (Saturday night). It’s unacceptable. It’s a foul & he needs to be at the free throw line. Does he make both? That’s up to the player.”

Mark Cuban, the former majority owner of the Mavericks, shared Kidd's criticism of the officiating.

"It’s insane," Cuban posted on X. "When every touch was a foul, last month, he didn’t get any calls. Then the crew chiefs made the decision there should be more physicality, changing how they call the games mid-season, like they did a couple years ago, so that not only does Coop still not get any calls, he gets HAMMERED more often."

Flagg’s rookie season has already featured eye-opening performances, further cementing his status as one of the NBA’s fastest-rising stars. However, Dallas’ loss to Houston shifted the focus from Flagg’s production to how he is being officiated.

Kidd’s blunt postgame comments reflected growing frustration within the organization, particularly as Flagg continues to absorb heavy contact without consistent whistles. The situation gained even more attention when Cuban publicly backed Kidd, calling out what he sees as shifting officiating standards that have only made things tougher for the Mavericks’ rookie.

As Flagg’s profile continues to rise, how officials handle the physicality against him will remain a storyline worth watching. For Dallas, protecting its franchise cornerstone may become just as important as maximizing his on-court impact as the season moves forward.