Mavericks’ Dereck Lively II hilariously discusses Cooper Flagg’s vibe

Ahead of Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg’s debut, Dereck Lively II gave us a glimpse into what the NBA’s top prospect is like off the court. Flagg’s a vital piece of bold Mavericks predictions some have for Dallas, heading into the regular season.

Lively II talked about how comfortable Flagg already is around the veterans and rest of the Mavericks team, per Dallas Morning News’ Brad Townsend.

“He’s enjoying himself no matter where — on or off the court — he’s still the youngest in the gym. He’s always trying to crack a joke. He’s always trying to poke fun at the old guys, which is hilarious. But I make sure he doesn’t try to bring that towards me because I’m not that old,” Lively II said. “But he’s been great. He seems like he’s enjoying Dallas. His family is great. And we’re just trying to make him feel as welcomed as possible.”

From the classic handshake-fakeout to calling his teammates “Unk,” Flagg keeps the team feeling relatively young for an older Mavericks squad.

“I let him call me “Unk” once or twice because I’m a dad but we ain’t letting it slide anymore,” Dereck Lively II added. “Bringing that sort of immaturity makes everybody loose since we have so many old players on the team now, we got to make sure we keep it young.”