Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki reveals what he admires about Cooper Flagg

Only a handful of rookies have ever entered the league with more pressure than combo guard Cooper Flagg, whom the Dallas Mavericks made the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. Flagg’s immediate success has impressed the basketball world, particularly franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki.

Nowitzki began his career with similar expectations as Flagg, which he admitted weighed on him early on. Knowing the situation, Nowitzki told the rookie that his demeanor in the moment has impressed him most this year.

“I admire what you do, already at a young age, coming in with a lot of pressure [as the] first pick,” Nowitzki said during an ‘NBA on Prime’ segment.

From one generation to another

Dirk Nowitzki (@Swish41) talks with rookie Cooper Flagg about his first season in the league, the Dallas community and a whole bunch more! pic.twitter.com/z0aTg2547o

— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) February 7, 2026

Flagg has been all over social media since the beginning of his high school career, setting unusually high expectations for him from the jump. His social media hype made him the No. 1 recruit of the class of 2025 and the runaway favorite to go No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft his entire collegiate career.

Flagg was thrust into unfamiliar territory right away when head coach Jason Kidd decided to start him at point guard on opening night. The 19-year-old responded with a double-double in his debut, and he has only gotten better with each performance.

Flagg is averaging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists through the first 47 games of his professional career. As of Saturday, he is coming off four consecutive 30-point games, including a career-high 49-point bomb against the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 29.

Just as he was the favorite to become the first overall pick in June, Flagg is the clear favorite to win the 2026 Rookie of the Year award.

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