Mavericks’ Jason Kidd gets honest on Cooper Flagg playing vs. Jayson Tatum, Celtics

The primary story in Friday night’s game between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks is the return of superstar Jayson Tatum after tearing his Achilles 10 months ago. The Celtics are hoping to integrate Tatum back in the lineup over the final 20 games of the season so that they will be in a position to compete for the NBA title with their full team when the playoffs get underway. The secondary story is that Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg will have a chance to play on the same court as Tatum for the first time in his career.

Mavericks coach Jason Kidd on Cooper Flagg’s excitement for today’s game:

“He’s mentioned Tatum as one of the guys he’s followed.”

“This is not an easy team to play against, because they understand big games and big situations, and so this is a great challenge.” pic.twitter.com/taU0G38zwk

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) March 6, 2026

Flagg grew up in nearby Maine, and he regularly followed Tatum in his formative years because he admired the way the Celtics’ superstar played the game.

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd explained that Flagg is quite excited to play in Boston against a player he has followed for several years. “He’s mentioned Tatum as one of the guys he’s followed,” Kidd said during his media availability before Friday’s game. “This is not an easy team to play against, because they understand big games and big situations, and so this is a great challenge.”

Flagg and the Mavericks come into the game as 14.5-point underdogs against the Celtics. The rookie is averaging 20.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and he is coming off a recent foot injury. The No. 1 pick in last year’s draft has demonstrated that he will likely become a superstar himself in the seasons ahead.

Tatum is schedule to play his first game since suffering his injury in last year’s second-round playoff confrontation with the New York Knicks. He is a six-time NBA All-Star and he partnered with Jaylen Brown to lead the Celtics to the 2024 NBA championship. Tatum is averaging 23.6 ppg throughout his eight-year career.

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