NBA Makes Announcement on Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper Matchup

Harper scored 16 points and grabbed six rebounds himself that afternoon, despite being limited to just 19 minutes of action compared to Flagg's 31 minutes due to a minor groin injury.

According to the NBA, the October 22 matchup between Harper and Flagg will be the first time that the top two picks in the draft debut against one another since 2015, when Karl Anthony-Towns and D'Angelo Russell faced off in their respective debuts.

"The scheduled matchup between Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper is set to mark the second time since 1966 that the top two picks in the same NBA Draft will face each other in the first career regular-season game for both players. The previous instance was in 2015 (Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell)," NBA Communications wrote on X.

The game is set to be nationally televised on ESPN as part of the network's first double-header of the 2025-26 season. Spurs vs. Mavericks will tip off at 9:30 p.m. ET on October 22, after Cavaliers vs. Knicks at 7 p.m. ET.

More Marquee Matchups

In addition to the Spurs' nationally televised season opener, the league also officially announced the team's Christmas Day matchup against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder. ESPN's Shams Charania previously reported the full Christmas Day slate last week, with Tuesday's confirmation from the NBA serving as the official announcement.

The Spurs will be playing on Christmas Day for the second consecutive season after an eight-year hiatus dating back to the Kawhi Leonard-era in 2016. The Spurs lost to the New York Knicks 117-114 this past Christmas, marking the organization's fourth loss in five Christmas Day appearances dating back to 2013. Since 1999, San Antonio is just 2-6 overall on Christmas Day despite having won five NBA championships during that time span.

Related Articles

NBA Announces Offseason Award for Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs Sign Former OKC Thunder Champion

NBA Fans React to Cooper Flagg's Debut Announcement