Shaq Makes Cooper Flagg Opinion on Mavericks Perfectly Clear

Dallas Mavericks wing/forward and 2025 NBA Draft No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg gave fans a glimpse of his game-changing potential at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Flagg exploded for 31 points in his final appearance during Summer League play—catching the eye of NBA Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal.

O’Neal believes Flagg is in an ideal situation in Dallas, where he’ll have the opportunity to properly develop into the superstar he has the potential to become.

“Great young man. I know both his parents very, very well,” O’Neal said per Austin Veazey of Sports Illustrated. “Everything about this city, this organization, it’s going to be the right place. And then we’ll give him time to develop. We all remember Dirk [Nowitzki] wasn’t Dirk when he first got here. I think this is a great organization, a great town for him to start off his NBA career.”

Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the recent NBA Draft, is joining the likes of future Hall of Famers Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson. Davis and Flagg figure to be the top two options on the offensive end while Irving recovers from a torn ACL he suffered on March 3.

“He’s an 18-year-old kid, so, can’t put too much pressure on him. From my experience, you get two years before people really start saying it’s time to win. I think he’s way above that 18-year-old curve. Good thing about this organization, the Mavericks, they’re going to treat him well. This fanbase is definitely going to treat him well through the ups and downs,” O’Neal said.

As he takes his first steps in the NBA, Flagg has the foundation he needs to thrive both on and off the court.